[Updated January, 2010]
In Arizona, much attention has been given to child drowning deaths. Such tragedies warrant much attention, because there were 29 drowning deaths of children under age 18 in Arizona in 2008. But we had 49 firearm fatalities in children that year, and over 200 serious nonfatal firearm injuries, many of which left permanent disabilities. In recent years, the message regarding “watch your child around water” has been heard almost every day. We believe that firearm injuries deserve as much attention. They too are preventable tragedies.
This fifth annual report on firearm statistics for our state was prepared by Arizona Firearm Injury Prevention Coalition. The report shows we have a long way to go, but after much hard work and perseverance by many agencies and nonprofit organizations like ours, we are making progress. The death rate in teenagers from firearm injuries has steadily and dramatically decreased since Arizona Firearm Injury Prevention Coalition came into existence in 1993. We are proud of our role in improving the statistics for firearm injuries to children.
The data suggest considerable work remains. We have active collaborative efforts with Southwest Human Development to bring firearm safety to parents of disadvantaged children, Phoenix Police Department for safe storage of lost or stolen firearms returned to owners, Arizona Game and Fish Department for our gun turn-in program, Arizona Rifle and Pistol Association for distribution of gun locks to trainees in firearm safety courses, Teen Lifeline to offer our gun turn-in program to parents of depressed teens, and our largest collaborative program, with Phoenix Fire Department to bring firearm safety to parents of schoolchildren. We believe these efforts, when combined with our distribution of gun locks to pediatricians’ offices, our distribution of free gun locks at injury prevention events, and our lectures on firearm safety, will have a positive impact.
AFIPC wants to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have supported us in the past. Your generosity is deeply appreciated. Now, here are the statistics:
Download 2010 statistics booklet
To read this booklet, you must have Adobe Reader. To download free Adobe Reader, click here: Get Adobe Reader
