From: SSAA, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Study Disputes Gun Control Law's Impact By Guy Gugliotta Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, August 1, 2000; 4:22 PM In a finding that casts doubt on one of the pillars of the gun control movement, a new study published today concludes that the Brady law had no effect on firearm homicide and suicide rates in states that previously had no handgun controls. Gun control advocates criticized the study, but also said it reaffirmed the Brady Law's effectiveness in reducing gun crimes nationwide and emphasized the need for further regulation of handgun sales. The study in the Journal of the American Medical Association analyzed national homicide and suicide data between 1985 and 1997, dividing the states into two groups: 32 that installed the Brady Law handgun purchase controls in 1994, and 19 (18 states plus the District) that already had Brady-style restrictions. While the study confirmed a well-documented reduction in firearms deaths across the United States beginning in 1993-94, the data showed no difference in the overall rate of decline between the two sets of states. There was, however, a sharp drop in gun suicides among adults 55 and older in the "Brady states." Still, "there's no real convincing way to show how much of the reduction can be attributed to Brady," said Georgetown University public policy specialist Jens Ludwig, co-author of the study, along with Philip J. Cook of Duke University. The study provided a volatile new addition to the national gun control debate, and the National Rifle Association hastened to take note. "We don't always agree with the American Medical Association, but in this case common sense has prevailed," said James Jay Baker, the NRA's executive director for Legislative Action. "Schemes like the Brady waiting period have nothing to do with reducing criminal behavior." The 1994 Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act requires that federally licensed firearms dealers impose a waiting period on the purchase of handguns while they conduct a background check on the purchaser. The law was enacted 13 years after former presidential press Secretary James Brady was disabled in the 1981 shooting that gravely wounded President Reagan. The gun control movement regards it as one of the most important pieces of firearms legislation ever passed. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
