NCJ Number
183543
Editor(s)
Josh Sugarmann,
Aimee Stenzel
Date Published
March 2000
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This analysis of firearms violence concludes that a plan to ban handguns should be developed and implemented soon and that the cost of a buyback program for the 65 million handguns owned by civilians could recouped in a few years through savings on the estimated $4 billion annually in medical care for victims of gun violence.
Abstract
The United States leads the industrialized world in gun violence of all types. Nearly 70 percent of firearm suicides and 80 percent of firearm homicides involve handguns. The handgun lobby's mythology about the handgun clouds the reality that a handgun is a consumer product that needs regulation by the same standards applied to al other products. Data from 1997 also reinforce the point that uses of handguns for self-defense are rare. However, handguns are used extensively in violent crimes such as assaults and robberies. Most of the gun control movement regards trying to ban handguns as futile. Federal gun control legislation has failed to slow firearms violence due to its ad hoc nature. Politicians and gun control advocates tend to focus on licensing, registration, and background checks without considering fundamental issues. A contrasting legislative approach to curtailing gun violence begins with the recognition that the firearms industry remains the last unregulated manufacturer of a consumer product. Congress should vest the Department of the Treasury with strong authority to regulate the design, manufacture, and distribution of firearms and should include the ability to remove from the market firearms that pose a serious threat to public health and safety. The country needs a clear plan to ban handguns. Reference notes