The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence Statement on New CDC Report Evaluating Effectiveness of Firearms Laws

10/3/2003

From: Blaine Rummel of The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, 202-408-7560, ext. 118; http://www.efsgv.org

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today released a new report evaluating the effectiveness of firearms laws in preventing violence. According to the report, there is insufficient evidence to fully evaluate the effectiveness of U.S. gun laws, highlighting the need for additional research in the field. The study authors cautioned that the findings "should not be interpreted as evidence of ineffectiveness." (MMWR 2003; 52(no. RR-14)).

Joshua Horwitz, executive director of The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, had this to say:

"We agree with the study's authors: more research in this area is sorely needed. But the sad truth is that the gun lobby has blocked federal dollars for firearms research at every turn. This study reveals the folly of the gun lobby's attack on objective research in preventing gun violence. At a time when America's gun death rate is again rising after years of decline, the government must commit more resources to gun policy research, not less.

"We anticipate the gun lobby to misinterpret the findings of this report. We expect them to point to the study as 'proof' that gun laws do not work in a willful attempt to mislead the public.

"In fact, the report goes out of its way to state that there is no evidence suggesting that gun laws don't work. It simply states that there is not enough research to draw conclusions.

"Americans know the effects of having lax gun laws: high crime and high gun death rates. We also know that common sense plays a big role. For example, Americans don't need a study to understand that military-style assault weapons serve no useful purpose, and should be banned from our streets."