Share the Pledge
Share our pledge with your networks and help prevent suicide. We know that minutes matter to those in crisis and their loved ones, so help us spread the word!
Kate Neely commented on Resources
2011-09-20 11:34:19 -0400
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Minutes Matter
Take the pledge
16 pledgesI pledge to think and speak of suicide as something that can be prevented. Lives can be saved
I pledge to keep any firearms in my house safely locked.
I pledge to break the silence and speak with my friends and family about suicide awareness and prevention, letting them know that "minutes matter" for everyone.
Fact Sheet
Know the Facts About Suicide and Guns
In North Carolina teens often make the impulsive decision to end their lives. When provided easy access to a firearm it is almost always a permanent and deadly decision.
In North Carolina more than 50% of all firearm deaths are suicides (2007 Data WISQARS**)
In North Carolina suicide is the 2nd leading cause of violent death for adolescents (2007 Data WISQARS)
49 % of youth suicides in North Carolina involve a firearm—the largest chosen method (2007 Data WISQARS)
Many youth suicides are impulsive. A study of youth under 18 who attempted suicide found one-third who attempted suicide made the decision on the same day and in many cases the same hour (Harvard School of Public Health)
In a study of firearm suicide survivors, the majority stated ‘availability’ as the reason they chose a gun (Harvard School of Public Health)
An National Violent Injury Statistics System(NVISS) Study of firearm suicides among youth under 18 found that 82% used a firearm belonging to a family member, usually a parent. When storage status was noted, about two-thirds of the firearms had been stored unlocked (Harvard School of Public Health)
In the above study, among the remaining cases, in which the firearms had been locked, the youth either knew the combination or where the key was kept, or broke into the cabinet where one or more firearms were stored. (Harvard School of Public Health)
Firearm suicide is significantly more fatal than other means. More than 90 percent of suicide attempts with a gun are fatal. In comparison, only 3 percent of attempts with drugs or cutting are fatal (Harvard School of Public Health)
Suicide death isn’t inevitable. A study of individuals who attempted suicide and survived found that nine out of ten did not die by suicide at a later date. (Owens 2002)
Reducing at-risk youth’s access to firearms has been proven to reduce their risk of suicide death and yet. . .
More than 168,000 children and teens in North Carolina live in homes with loaded guns
More than 82,000 live in homes with guns that are loaded and unlocked
In a study among gun-owning parents who reported that their children had never handled their firearms at home, 22% of the children, questioned separately, said that they had (Baxley F, Miller M. 2006)
Sources: **WISQARSTM (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System), Harvard School of Public Health , The Center to Prevent Youth Violence
Minutes Matter
Most adolescents and young adults that decide to end their life do so and attempt in less than an hour, many in less than ten minutes. For those who make an attempt with firearms, this means that they are able to access firearms in mere minutes; it also means that, by restricting access to firearms, many suicides could be prevented.
We are not powerless to save our loved ones: a donation of as little as $10 helps NCGV and partner organizations distribute gun locks and provide community programming to raise awareness about suicide prevention and means restriction. With your help, we can save lives.
Recipe for Disaster
NCGV has been collecting postcards from concerned citizens across the state. We'll mail these postcards to state senators to let them know North Carolinians do NOT support loaded, concealed guns in bars and parks.
Fill out the form below and we will mail a postcard to your Senator for you!
