The argument for gun control that nobody talks about

Saturday marked World Mental Health Day, which is a really good opportunity to highlight an under-discussed aspect of gun regulation.

In the United States, suicide or intentional self harm is the second largest cause of death among young people.

While not all people who took their own lives will have used a gun, a majority did, and as Vox have already pointed out, suicides are more common in places with firearms.

There are also more gun suicides than gun homicides in the US, even though that information may come as a surprise since the media doesn't cover gun deaths that are caused by suicide in the same way it talks about gun deaths and murder.

In 2013 alone, guns caused 21,175 deaths by intentional self harm in the US, compared to 11,208 homicides.

Firearms suicides are also less common in states which check prospective purchasers for a history of mental illness or criminal activity.

All of this means guns are one of the most lethal and immediate methods of intentional self-harm a person can access.

(H/T NY Times)

If you think you or someone you care about is in need of support for a mental health problem, there is someone to talk to at The Samaritans 24 hours a day on FREECALL 116 123 and advice on where to get help at mentalhealth.org.uk.

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