Florida shooting 50 injured

[Robus]

It is true and our siicide rates are not particilarly high by global standards. American suicides, males in particular, tend to chose guns. The British I understand tend to prefer to hang themselves--and that is a sadder state of affairs.

[Supersub6]

It is true and our siicide rates are not particilarly high by global standards. American suicides, males in particular, tend to chose guns. The British I understand tend to prefer to hang themselves--and that is a sadder state of affairs.

I never knew that methods of committing suicide had different levels of what is considered to be correct as far as some people are concerned. Now that is sad!

[1959_60]

Suicide rates per 100,000 people (2015 World Health Organisation figures)

World average 10.7

USA 12.6

UK 7.4

Antigua and Barbuda had zero suicides.

Sri Lanka top of the list with 34.6

[Robus]

And the current mean suicide rate in the EU is around 11.7. You will not have much luck arguing that greater availability of guns leads to more suicides. Rather, suicidal individuals with access to guns tend to choose them in preference to other methods--understandably in my estimation. It is sad to regard some method of suicide as preferable to others? Who knows but I imagine we all have some order of preference in mind, even if purely hypothetical.

[1959_60]

Agree totally Robus. Although if you lose it for a few moments, and have a gun in easy reach, you could do the deed in seconds. Most other methods would allow at least a few minutes of a cooling off period.

But generally, it is using guns for homicide that is the real focus.