Suicide by Firearms

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Abstract
To the Editor: Factual errors, misleading statistics, and erroneous conclusions permeate the article by Boyd (April 14 issue)1 purporting to show a relation between an increasing suicide rate and the availability of handguns.First, Boyd incorrectly says that the age-adjusted suicide rate rose from 12.4 per 100,000 population in 1953 to 13.3 in 1978, and later that the age-adjusted firearm suicide rate in 1953 was 4.9, and the non-firearm rate, 5.9. These latter figures add up to 10.8, not 12.4. Vital Statistics of the United States always uses the 1940 population for age adjustment.2 Although he does not explain, Boyd . . .

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