Impact of gun law reforms on rates of homicide, suicide and mass shootings in Australia

摘要

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC: Gun control is a highly topical yet polarising political issue. To date, there is limited evidence on the impact of gun law reforms on firearm-related violence and suicide. In Australia, substantial changes in gun laws that significantly restrict the use and ownership of weapons were introduced in 1996 following the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania. In 2006, Chapman et al analysed the 10-year impact of this reform on firearm-related deaths (including suicides) and found no subsequent mass shootings and an accelerated decline in firearm deaths, especially suicides, in the decade following the reforms. In this new paper, they update the evidence over a longer period.