Safe firearm storage reduces youth suicide and unintentional gun deaths

[MillCreek]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/13/upshot/gun-safety-children-storage.html?action=click&module=Discovery&pgtype=Homepage

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2733158?guestAccessKey=8248b8a2-3f76-4e0a-b003-2f84f2b4a180%20&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=051319

When I still had kids in the house, every firearm was locked up and only I had the key to the gun safe.  Admittedly, I did have some firearms still loaded but in the safe, and the ammo was not locked up.  Now that the kids are gone, I have a few loaded firearms hidden in various places, but the majority of them are still locked up.

[MechAg94]

The links seem to refer only to gun deaths and firearms related suicide.  I didn't notice if they addressed whether non-gun related suicides are affected at all.  It stands to reason that if access to guns is restricted, a suicidal person will not use a gun.  IMO, that does not address the problem of why the person was suicidal in the first place.  It doesn't address the many potential ways a person could kill themselves with other household items. 

[MillCreek]

^^^The study looked solely at youth suicides and unintentional deaths by firearm, not suicide or accidents in general.

[K Frame]

So, how can they definitively say that firearms storage reduces youth suicide if they don't know whether there was a concomitant spike in other suicide types? 

[griz]

So, how can they definitively say that firearms storage reduces youth suicide if they don't know whether there was a concomitant spike in other suicide types? 

Your logic, while correct, doesn't apply to them.  If you start with the premise that guns = bad, then clearly youth firearm suicides suicides are worse than youth suicides by other means.  I agree with you that their argument is circular, but that's what it comes down to.

PS: By no means am I trying to trivialize youth deaths, just pointing out that Mike is right.

[230RN]

It's been looking to me like modern scientists do not want to see variables contrary to the interests of their grantors.

[Hawkmoon]

It's been looking to me like modern scientists do not want to see variables contrary to the interests of their grantors.

Gee. Ya think?

What's that old saying? Oh, yes: "Figures never lie, but liars always figure."

And then there's: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."

[230RN]

It's been looking to me like modern scientists do not want to see variables contrary to the interests of their grantors.

Gee. Ya think?

...

I don't do well with understatement. I guess because I usually overstate things.  :D

Overheard:

"He's a sunufabitch, a lousy teacher, and doesn't know dip about the scientific method, but he sure can bring in grant money."

"What's that they say about pooplish or perish?"

Terry, 230RN

[Blakenzy]

There are many ways to skew a study. This one seems to suggest that if you take away guns, suicides are a non-issue.