Dr. Wood: Gun owners, take note. Nearly 9 in 10 Thurston gun deaths are suicides.
The Thurston County Board of Health proclaimed September Suicide Prevention Awareness month to raise awareness about suicide and suicide prevention.
Suicide is a serious public health issue, both in Washington state, and in Thurston County. In a recent article, the Pew Research Center shared that more than 23,000 Americans a year kill themselves with a gun. In many places across the United States, firearm dealers, gun owners and suicide prevention advocates are starting to work more closely together. There can be no doubt that firearm safety is important.
Local data from the Healthy Youth Survey shows 1 in 4 county sixth-graders have seriously considered suicide, which is an increase from previous years. Additional data shows how many kids are moving from considering suicide to attempting it. By 12th grade, 1 in 10 county youth have attempted suicide.
Among county adults, suicide is the eighth leading cause of death.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, household firearms create a suicide risk to children and adults in a home. People consider suicide for a range of reasons, and suicide attempts may be planned, but also can be impulsive. When a firearm is available to use, the chances go up that the result will be fatal.
In Thurston County, 40 percent of all households have a firearm in the home.
Data for Thurston County shows that every year 29 residents die from a firearm injury. Over this decade, we have lost more than 200 residents to gun deaths.
When we look further, we see that 88 percent of county gun deaths are suicides. This is a fact that many people do not know.
According to the state Department of Health, only 38 percent of adults with firearms in their homes store them safely. Safely securing firearms is one of the simplest, and most practical, things gun owners can do to prevent the unthinkable. Parents are key to preventing gun access, and this is critical, because self-harm is generally more impulsive among adolescents than it is with adults.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention recommends the following for households with firearms:
If you have guns, store them safely and securely, locked and unloaded. Encourage friends with firearms in their homes to do the same.
Always store your ammunition separately, and also in a locked box.
During times of crisis, or if you suspect that someone in your home may be considering suicide, removing the firearm from the home can help keep them safe.
A few other important things you can do to prevent suicide include:
- Learn the warning signs for suicide.
- Help yourself, or your loved ones, get the support they need.
- Put the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number in your phone and share it with others. They also serve as the Military Crisis Line. 1-800-273-8255.
Gun owners can take simple, but important steps to prevent the loss of life through suicide by firearm.