Firearm injuries are the leading cause of accidental death among children and adolescents in the United States
Gunshot injuries are the leading cause of accidental death among children and adolescents in the United States. This emerges from a study published this Thursday (05). American Academy of Pediatrics. According to the survey, the index has practically doubled in 10 years.
In recent decades, car accidents have been the leading cause of these types of deaths in the country. However, that rate fell by almost half while the number of people killed by firearms increased.
According to the study’s lead author, the gun industry has not taken measures to protect children, unlike the automotive industry, which has invested in safety. This can be seen, for example, in the emergence of weapons that can only be unlocked using biometric data, but which are met with resistance from manufacturers.
There are more than 4.5 million children in the country who live in homes with at least one loaded gun without a safety lock.
No developed country has rates as high as the United States. The study also highlights that in states where laws governing gun purchase and ownership are more restrictive, death rates are lower.
The study numbers do not include shootings and suicides.
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