“Dr. Wood: Gun owners, take note. Nearly 9 in 10 Thurston gun deaths are suicides.”
By Dr. Rachel C. Wood, health officer for Thurston and Lewis counties:
“In Thurston County, 40 percent of all households have a firearm in the home.
“Data for Thurston County shows that every year 29 residents die from a firearm injury. Over this decade, we have lost more than 200 residents to gun deaths.
“When we look further, we see that 88 percent of county gun deaths are suicides. This is a fact that many people do not know.
“According to the state Department of Health, only 38 percent of adults with firearms in their homes store them safely. Safely securing firearms is one of the simplest, and most practical, things gun owners can do to prevent the unthinkable. Parents are key to preventing gun access, and this is critical, because self-harm is generally more impulsive among adolescents than it is with adults.
“The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention recommends the following for households with firearms”: Read more
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