Do gun-related injuries decrease during NRA conventions?

Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine by Ruth L. Newhouse professor of health care policy and medicine Anupam B. Jena, MD, PhD, says yes.

Firearm injuries usually make up 1.49 per 100,000 emergency room visits. However, during NRA conventions this rate drops to 1.19 per 100,000. The injuries were reduced among men across the Southern and Western United States, which rank high in gun ownership.

This research did not find a decrease in gun-related crime, which suggests that the observed reductions were primarily for unintentional injuries.

This study serves as “a reminder that guns are inherently unsafe, even in the hands of experienced and trained users,” Jena said.

You can listen to Jena discuss this study on the department of health care policy's podcast, Leading Voices in Health Care Policy.

This study has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Vox, The Telegraph, and the Observer, among others.