|
There are 200 million privately owned guns in the US, including 65
million handguns. Firearms are now the second biggest cause of injury-related
death in the country, killing 28,663 people in 2000, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.
For African-American teenagers aged 15 to 19, gun-related homicide is
the leading cause of death.
And yet, the US Congress is close to passing a bill giving gun makers
immunity from liability for deaths or injuries caused by their products.
An article in New Scientist advocates treating guns as a Public Heath
Crisis, like an infectious disease. And they claim existing technology
could make guns much safer if implemented by the government, like seatbelts
for cars.
From
New Scientist.com
|