RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of limiting handgun purchases to 1 per month on the illegal movement of firearms across state lines. DESIGN: Data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms firearms trace database were obtained for traces requested for firearms recovered in connection with criminal investigations. The analysis incorporates data on date and location of purchase for 14606 firearms purchased prior to (September 1989 through June 1993) and after (July 1993 through March 1995) enactment of a Virginia law limiting handgun purchases to 1 per month. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Odds of tracing a firearm acquired prior to implementation of the law to Virginia vs another state in the Southeast compared with the odds for firearms acquired after the law took effect. RESULTS: For firearms recovered anywhere in the United States, 3201 (27%) of 11 876 acquired prior to the implementation of the law and 519 (19%) of 2730 purchased after the law was enacted were traced to Virginia (odds ratio [OR], 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-0.71). For traces initiated in the northeast corridor (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts), 1103 (34.8%) of 3169 of the firearms acquired before the 1-gun-a-month law took effect and 142 (15.5%) of 919 firearms purchased after implementation were traced to Virginia (OR, 0.34; CI, 0.28-0.41). CONCLUSION: Gun control policies involving licensing, registration, and restricting the number of purchases represent efforts to limit the supply of guns available in the illegal market. This study provides evidence that restricting handgun purchases to 1 per month is an effective means of disrupting the illegal interstate transfer of firearms.
Asunto(s)
Comercio , Armas de Fuego/legislación & jurisprudencia , Política Pública , Comercio/legislación & jurisprudencia , Estudios de Evaluación como Asunto , Humanos , Concesión de Licencias , New England , Formulación de Políticas , Gobierno Estatal , Estados Unidos , VirginiaRESUMEN
Data from a national random sample of gun owners (N = 605) were used to determine whether members of the National Rifle Association (NRA) are a representative sample of all gun owners and how well the NRA's lobbying positions on gun control reflect the views of its membership and of nonmember gun owners. No obvious demographic distinctions were identified between member and nonmember gun owners, but handgun owners (odds ratio [OR], 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19 to 2.39) and individuals who owned six or more guns as opposed to just one gun (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.22 to 3.10) were more likely to belong to the NRA. Nonmembers were more supportive of specific proposals to regulate gun ownership (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.14 to 2.91), but a majority of both member and nonmember gun owners favored a waiting period for the purchase of a handgun (77% and 89%, respectively) and mandatory registration of handguns (59% and 75%).
Asunto(s)
Actitud , Armas de Fuego , Maniobras Políticas , Organizaciones , Propiedad , Control Social Formal , Adulto , Intervalos de Confianza , Recolección de Datos , Femenino , Armas de Fuego/estadística & datos numéricos , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Motivación , Oportunidad Relativa , Objetivos Organizacionales , Propiedad/estadística & datos numéricos , Muestreo , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with keeping guns loaded. Four hypotheses were tested: that people are more likely to keep their firearms loaded if (1) the primary reason for owning a gun is protection, (2) the gun is a handgun, (3) there are no children in the household, or (4) the gun owner has not received training in the proper use of firearms. DESIGN AND SETTING: A random national telephone survey of gun owners conducted in December 1989. A screening question was used to identify individuals as gun owners. Participants were called at home. PARTICIPANTS: 605 individuals (approximately two thirds of the population contacted) participated in the survey. All were 18 years and older, most were men (64%), and a few were nonwhite (12%). The majority owned more than one gun (77%). RESULTS: Three of the four hypotheses were substantiated by the data. Handgun owners (odds ratio [OR], 2.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.67 to 2.82), individuals who owned a firearm principally for protection (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.30 to 2.11), and people who lived in households without children (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.13 to to 1.82) were all more likely to keep a gun loaded than other individuals. Instruction in the proper use of firearms did not seem to affect the probability of keeping guns loaded (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.69 to 1.07). CONCLUSIONS: The spontaneous nature of many firearm deaths has led to speculation that a substantial proportion of firearm-related morbidity and mortality could be prevented if easy access to loaded weapons were reduced through appropriate storage practices. Our findings show that a significant proportion of gun owners disregard basic safety procedures. However, without information on the specific content of safety instruction, we cannot say that education about safe storage practices is ineffective.