Commentary

Surge in firearm sales tied to COVID-19 fears, uncertainty presents risks


 

References

1. Levine PB and McKnight R. Science. 2017 Dec 8;358(6368):1324-8.

2. Levin D. “Coronavirus and firearms: Are gun shops essential businesses?” The New York Times. 2020 Mar 25.

3. Robertson L. “Neither hurricanes nor 9/11 caused as big a surge in gun sales as coronavirus.” Miami Herald. 2020 Mar 25.

4. Moyer MW. Scientific American. 2017 Oct;317(4):54-63.

5. Kellermann AL et al. J Trauma. 1998 Aug;45(2):263-7.

6. Wintemute GJ et al. New Engl J Med. 1999 Nov 18;341(21):1583-9.

7. Firearm Justifiable Homicides and Non-Fatal Self-Defense Gun Use: An Analysis of Federal Bureau of Investigation and National Crime Victimization Survey Data. Washington: Violence Policy Center; 2019 Jul.

8. Towers S et al. bioRxiv. 2019 Apr 18;613687.

Dr. Rozel is the medical director of resolve Crisis Services at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital and president of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry. He also is associate professor of psychiatry and an adjunct professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh. He has no conflicts of interest but has worked for a gun dealer to teach sales staff how to recognize people in crisis (rather than sell a gun).

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