Gun purchasers in the U.S. are becoming increasingly apt to favor more lethal, higher caliber firearms, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.
For the study, researchers examined trends in firearm manufacturing using data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from 1990 through 2015. Researchers found that while firearm production decreased slightly from 1996 to 2004, it began to increase after 2005 when 1.3 million firearms were made. In 2013, the U.S. gun industry manufactured 10.3 million firearms.
The upsurge was mostly due to an increased demand for higher caliber weapons, which spurred more production of pistols and rifles. Between 2004 and 2015, the production of 0.380 caliber pistols rose by 1,200 percent, 9 mm pistols by 700 percent and pistols greater than 9 mm by 250 percent.
"Our research suggests that guns are increasingly being viewed as having a primary role in self-defense, rather than in use for hunting or sport," said Michael Siegel, MD, a professor in community health sciences at Boston University School of Public Health and the study's lead investigator. "Public health practitioners need to understand and accept the increasing view, among gun owners, of firearms as a means to security and freedom. Only by acknowledging the value that firearms have in the lives of gun owners can public health practitioners develop programs and policies that respect the desire to own weapons for self-defense, while at the same time mitigating the firearm violence that is ravishing our communities."
More articles on population health:
Preventive Services Task Force: Children should be screened for obesity
1.3k children die annually from gun injuries
Decline in e-cig use drives overall drop in tobacco use among teens