Virginia Firearm Statistics 2003

• There were 798 firearm deaths in Virginia in 2003 making it the second leading cause of injury death. The firearm death rate was 10.8 per 100,000.
  
• The age-adjusted death rate was 10.66 per 100,000.
  
• Males were almost 6 times more likely to suffer a firearm related death than were females.
  
• Blacks were 2 times more likely to suffer a firearm related death than were whites.
  
• There were 446 firearm related suicides, 330 firearm related homicides and 11 accidental firearm deaths.
  
• Firearms were the leading cause of injury for suicide deaths, responsible for over half (56%) of these deaths.
  
• Handguns were used in 34% of suicides, and shotguns were used in 17%.
  
• Firearms were the leading cause of homicide deaths, responsible for almost three-fourths (73%) of these deaths.
  
• There were 596 firearm related injury hospitalizations in 2003 for a rate of 8 per 100,000.
  
• Forty-eight were self-inflicted, and 339 were assault-related. Twenty-eight were shotgun related and 163 were handgun related.
  
• The median charge per episode of care was $19,462 and the average length of stay was 6.5 days. Over 22 million dollars were billed for firearm related hospitalizations.
  
• Thirty-five percent of discharges had self as the expected source of payment, and 36% had a private payer.
  
• Men were at 12 times the risk of a hospitalization due to a firearm injury than were females.
  
• Blacks were at almost 9 times the risk as whites for hospitalizations from a firearm injury.
  
• The most common injury types were fractures (31%), internal organs (32%), and open wounds (31%).
  
• There were 8 hospitalizations from BB/pellet guns for unintentional injury, 1 for suicide and 1 for assault.

Gun Safety Tips

• Store firearms unloaded and locked with a firearm safe, locked box, trigger or chamber lock
  
• Store and lock ammunition in a separate place
  
• Remove firearms from your home if you have a depressed or suicidal family member
  
• Before you send your child to someone's house, ASK if firearms in the home are stored unloaded and locked; ASK if the ammunition is stored separately; ASK about shotguns and rifles too, not just handguns
  
• Invite the children to play at your home if you have doubts about the safety of someone else's home
  
• Talk with your children about the risk of firearm injury in places they may visit or play
  
• Teach your child if she finds a firearm to leave it alone and let an adult know right away
  
• Instruct your child to leave the room and tell an adult immediately if another child shows him or her a weapon
  
• Ask family and friends to use these safe storage steps

Virginia Firearm Safe Storage Project

The Virginia Firearm Safe Storage Project focuses on the distribution of cable gunlocks and the education of parents and the community about gun safety to reduce the number of gun related childhood injuries. To receive gunlocks for your community project contact your local state police headquarters.

PSA RADIO SPOT

BOY: Mom, can I sleep over Justin's house?
MOM: Sure
BOY: YES!
MOM: But let me call his parents first.
Phone rings.
MOM: Hi. I understand the boys have planned a sleep over at your house tonight. I hope you don't mind, but I need to ask whether you have firearms and whether they are unloaded and locked away. That's what my husband does with his hunting rifles. You know how curious children are. I don't want to take any chances.
ANNOC: Children are curious and they will find guns and handle them, even if you've told them not to. Store weapons safely. Use gunlocks. Ask about guns where your children play.
Gun owners, make sure that children are protected by keeping guns out of their hands, like you do with poisons and matches. Don't make children responsible for their own safety.
This message is brought to you by the Virginia Department of Health's Center for Injury and Violence Prevention.

Links:

• Washington State LOK-IT-UP campaign: The LOK-IT-UP safe storage campaign is a public awareness program about the importance of the safe storage of firearms.
  (http://www.lokitup.org)
  
  
• Eddie Eagle Program: Teaches elementary school children four important steps to take if they find a gun. These steps are presented by the program's mascot, Eddie Eagle, in an easy-to-remember format consisting of the following simple rules: If you see a gun: STOP! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult. (http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie)
  
  
• Risk Watch Program: Risk Watch is the first comprehensive injury prevention program available for use in schools. Risk Watch is a school-based curriculum that links teachers with community safety experts and parents. The curriculum is divided into five age-appropriate teaching modules (Pre-K/Kindergarten, Grades 1-2, Grades 3-4, Grades 5-6, and Grades 7-8), each of which addresses firearms injury prevention. (http://www.riskwatch.org)
  
  
• Common Sense about Kids and Guns: is a public education organization dedicated to providing all adults with the necessary information to empower them to protect their children from unsupervised access to guns. (http://www.kidsandguns.org)
  
  
• The Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research

Visit http://www.vahealth.org/civp/pubscivp.asp to view and order tip cards on this and other injury and violence prevention topics.