NM's gun-related deaths
Did you know that there are 600 injuries -- and about 300 deaths -- related to guns every year in New Mexico? Or that gun-related deaths was the second-leading cause of death in N.M., until drug overdoses and falls pushed them down to fourth?
Those facts, and much more, can be found in a state Department of Health report.
The 43-page report showed that 3,165 visits for gun-related injuries were reported by NM emergency departments between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2006. These include 2,986 initial visits and 179 transfer or other secondary visits.
The report also showed that:
• NM emergency departments see an average 633 gun-related injury visits a year.
• 73% involved firearms (powder weapons) and 20% involved BB and pellet guns
• 15- to 29-year-olds had the highest rates of non-fatal firearm injuries
• 10- to 14-year-olds had the highest rate for BB/Pellet emergency department visits
• An average of 45% of firearm injury cases were treated and released from the emergency department, but another 43% were admitted as inpatients
• Unlike overall injuries, with one death for every 118 non-fatal injuries treated, emergency departments reported one gun-related death for every 1.2 nonfatal visits.
Comments:
Posted 05/24/2008 06:26 with
By the way, since 1990, the National Rifle Association and the Gun Owners of America have donated $52,783 to Heather Wilson’s Campaigns and $24,800 to Steve Pearce. Tom Udall got $0. Over the years, Pete Domenici took $17,950 from the gun lobby; Bingaman got $0. You can see the numbers here.
.
Posted 05/25/2008 18:24 with
Good story, very compelling, and the facts it presents are a powerful indictment of current state and local policies on injury prevention.
The story is inaccurate when it says ”...gun-related deaths was the second-leading cause of death in N.M., until drug overdoses and falls pushed them down to fourth” misquoting the report. That should say “second-leading cause of injury death”, as the report does. Typically heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of overall death in NM, followed by injury.