Waiting Periods
Waiting Periods
What is the problem?
A waiting period law requires a certain number of days to pass between the purchase of a gun and when the buyer can actually take possession of that gun. This creates a buffer between someone having a suicidal crisis and access to a gun.
Creating a buffer between someone having a suicidal crisis and access to a gun can be the difference between life and death. Waiting period laws require gun buyers to wait until a certain period of time has passed before they are able to access a gun they have purchased.
Myth & Fact
Myth
Suicide is inevitable.
Fact
Suicide is preventable. In fact, the vast majority of people who survive a suicide attempt do not go on to die by suicide. Most people who attempt suicide do not die—unless they use a gun. Across all suicide attempts not involving a firearm, 4% will result in death. But for gun suicides, those statistics are flipped: about 90% of gun suicide attempts end in death.
All Resources
Waiting Periods
All Resources
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The Rise of Firearm Suicide among Young Americans
Death by suicide is a significant public health problem that claims the lives of thousands of young people in the US each year.
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Thousands of Preventable Gun Suicides
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Fact Sheet
Business As Usual
History of a Loophole Americans suffer from an extraordinary rate of gun violence, 20 times higher than nations with comparable levels of economic development…
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