(October 3, 2015 at 10:26 am)downbeatplumb Wrote:(October 3, 2015 at 9:57 am)robvalue Wrote: I'd say guns do have some part to play in suicides. If I had a gun, it's way more likely I'd put it to my head and pull the trigger than slice my wrists or jump off a cliff. Suicide isn't easy, and providing an instant kill machine means people are more likely to do something they would have regretted.
Seriously, when I had my freak out in the hospital, if I'd have had a gun, I may well have blown my head off. Having no easy way to hand to hurt myself, I came back to my senses.
I'm all for allowing people the right to suicide, but not for making it this easy to pull off in a moment of madness.
Indeed suicide by gun is certain and painless, hanging is a very painful death and not guaranteed to work. This is true for many suicide methods, wrist slashing taking pills etc. Guns are quick and effective, the very ease would be sure to bump up the suicide rate. There are times when if I'd had access to a gun I'm sure I'd have used it.
There were stats out a while back that gun suicides were successful 85% of the time as opposed to 3% for drug overdoses.
