GUN-RELATED DEATHS AND INJURIES DROP DRAMATICALLY

The latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that the gun-related death rate in the U.S. declined 25 percent between 1993 and 1998 to its lowest level since 1966.

The gun-related injury rate dropped 40 percent during the same period. In 1993 there were 39,595 gun-related fatalities or 15.4 deaths per 100,000 people.

In 1998, there were 30,708 fatalities or 11.4 deaths per 100,000. Injuries declined from 104,241 (40.4 per 100,000) to 64,484 (23.9 per 100,000).

The greatest decline in fatalities was from unintentional causes where the rate dropped 47 percent, followed by a 42 percent drop in the homicide rate, and a 15 percent drop in the suicide rate. Overall, unintentional fatalities represent less than 4 percent of all firearm-related deaths. According to the CDC report, the decline is consistent with a 27 percent decrease in violent crime during the mid-1990s.

The CDC statistics were collected from emergency rooms and death certificates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The full report can be viewed on the CDC web site

4/16/2001