As a psychotherapist with decades of experience with adolescents, I applaud the effort of the Dickey family and Gov. Chris Sununu to promote measures to prevent suicide (Monitor front page, Jan. 31).
But there’s more: guns. Guns account for 54 percent of fatal suicide attempts. Suicide attempted with a firearm is lethal 82 percent of the time.
When I see a patient who even has suicidal ideas, the first thing I say is “get any guns out of the house.” By delaying firearm purchases, mandatory waiting periods reduce access to people acting impulsively to the most lethal means of suicide. House Bill 514-FN would create a 7-day waiting period between the time of gun purchase and possession. Waiting periods help reduce the occurrence of suicides and other impulsive acts of violence.
Research published in the American Journal of Public Health showed that states with waiting period laws had 51 percent fewer firearm suicides and a 27 percent lower overall suicide rate than states without such laws. A December 2011 poll found that 74 percent of people without a firearm in the home support a five-day waiting period for the purchase of firearms, while 66 percent of non-NRA gun owners and 50 percent of NRA members support this measure.
Please contact the members of the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee and urge them to recommend passage of HB 514. Better yet, come to the hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 13, and tell them in person.
CHRISTINE MILLER
Penacook