The impact of gun control on suicide: Studies from Canada

An increasing popular proposal for reducing the incidence of suicide has been restricting the availability of methods for committing suicide. Countries differ in the most popular method for suicide, but firearms are the preferred method in some, including Canada and the United States. An opportunity for studying the effects of legislative gun control laws on their use for suicide is provided by Canada's Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1977 (Bill C-51). This paper reviews the studies on the impact of this act, exploring such factors as age and sex. Research on homicide and accidental death are also presented. It is concluded that, although gun control may have an impact, further study is warranted.