During The Epidemic, More American Parents of Teenagers Buy Guns

A recent study found that more parents of adolescents in the United States have purchased guns since the start of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Of all homes with adolescents of high school age, 10% bought a handgun in the early months of the H1N1 pandemic between March and July of 2020, and 3% of households in the United States with teenagers became first-time gun owners.

Gun production and sales have seen steady growth throughout the 1990s, but a study estimates that, during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, there was a 64.3% rise in the number of firearms purchased in the country, compared to normal volume.

The research, published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, found that these additional guns were purchased by families that reported previously keeping at least one pistol unlocked and loaded.

Dr Patrick Carter, an author of the study and co-director of the new Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention at the University of Michigan, made this statement: "This finding is concerning because we know that the single biggest risk factor for adolescent firearm injuries is access to an unsecured firearm."

The findings of this study show that we still have much more work to do to help families who already own guns, or may buy new ones, to help reduce the likelihood of their children being hurt or killed due to preventable hazards, like storing their guns safely to help reduce the risk of teen firearm injury and death.

50 out of every 100,000 adolescents ages 15 to 19 are wounded by guns each year, and 10 out of every 100,000 of them die as a result. One notable and distressing statistic is that teenagers from the same age range are much more likely to die from gun violence than any other major cause of mortality.

During the onset of the COVID epidemic, one in seven homes, 14 per cent, that bought a weapon also had an adolescent who was suffering from depressive symptoms.

Dr Marc Zimmerman, one of the co-authors of the study, discussed the results and how they impact public health practitioners dealing with both the COVID-19 pandemic and the firearm injury epidemic.

Teenagers that are depressed may influence how we target messages about safe storage to families that are at a higher risk.

The Firearm Injury Prevention Institute In June 2012, the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, which aims to combat the crisis of gunshot injuries, was established. Since then, 100 people have died each day in the United States as a result of firearm injuries. A $10 million investment by the university supports the institute, which is funded in part by government money. Researchers from the university have already obtained more federal financing for their research on the problem than any other academic institution in the country.

The Research discovered that protective measures for parents, such as more restrictive weapon storage laws, and enhanced kid access prevention techniques, may lower the incidence of adolescent firearm injuries.

Future studies should concentrate on how to improve safe storage habits for families with adolescents, according to Zimmerman. This study may assist in advancing our ultimate aim of decreasing and avoiding future firearm injuries.

Conclusion

A recent study found that more parents of adolescents in the have purchased guns since the start of the COVID-19 epidemic. 50 out of every 100,000 adolescents ages 15 to 19 are wounded by guns each year, and 10 out of those wounded die as a result.

Researchers found that more restrictive gun storage laws, and enhanced kid access prevention techniques, may lower the incidence of adolescent firearm injuries.

Future studies should concentrate on how to improve safe storage habits for families with adolescents, according to Zimmerman. The study was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.