Do gun buybacks save lives? Evidence from panel data

In 1997, Australia implemented a gun buyback program that reduced the stock of firearms by around one-fifth. Using differences across states in the number of firearms withdrawn, we test whether the reduction in firearms availability affected firearm homicide and suicide rates. We find that the buyback led to a drop in the firearm suicide rates of almost 80 per cent, with no statistically significant effect on non-firearm death rates. The estimated effect on firearm homicides is of similar magnitude, but is less precise. The results are robust to a variety of specification checks, and to instrumenting the state-level buyback rate.

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Year of publication:	2010
Authors:	Leigh, Andrew ; Neill, Christine
Publisher:	Bonn : Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
Subject:	Waffe \| Öffentliche Beschaffung \| Waffenrecht \| Wirkungsanalyse \| Selbstmord \| Kriminalität \| Australien \| Firearms ownership \| homicide \| suicide \| panel data

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Series:	Discussion paper series // Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit ; 4995
Type of publication:	Book / Working Paper
Type of publication (narrower categories):	Working Paper
Language:	English
Other identifiers:	629737827 [GVK] hdl:10419/36943 [Handle]
Classification:	I12 - Health Production: Nutrition, Mortality, Morbidity, Substance Abuse and Addiction, Disability, and Economic Behavior ; K14 - Criminal Law
Source:	EconStor