Can media effects counteract legislation reforms? The case of adolescent firearm suicides in the wake of the Austrian firearm legislation

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Can media effects counteract legislation reforms? The case of adolescent firearm suicides in the wake of the Austrian firearm legislation

Category: Firearm Policies, International, Suicide, Youth|Journal: Journal of Adolescent Health|Author: B Herberth, B Till, E Etzersdorfer, G Sonneck, K Dervic, M Voracek, N Kapusta, T Niederkrotenthaler|Year: 2009

To assess the impact of the Austrian firearm legislation (1997) on adolescent suicides, we investigated time trends in youth suicide prevalence (1986-2006) with Poisson regression. A temporary increase in firearm suicides after the reform was observed, followed by a continuous decrease. The hypothesis that media reporting triggered the short-term backlash effect is discussed.

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