Population Health

November 12, 2020

Discussing suicide prevention leads to safer weapons storage

Forefront volunteers talk about firearm safety at the Safer Night Out community event in Walla WallaA new University of Washington study found that talking to people at gun shows about suicide prevention and the risks of unsecured firearms can lead to safe weapons storage.

The research by UW’s Forefront Suicide Prevention program was based on visits to 18 gun shows and other community events around Washington state last year.

The study found that engaging people in a community-based setting, in an empathetic conversation focused on safety, resulted in more people locking up their firearms.

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