Suicide rates in Canada before and after tightening firearm control laws.

In Canada, Bill C-51 was implemented in 1977 to restrict the use of firearms, providing a good opportunity to study the effects of gun control laws in the use of firearms for suicide. The present study examined the use of guns for suicide during the period prior to the bill and during the period after the passing of Bill C-51 to assess the association of the bill with suicide rates. Analysis showed a significant decreasing trend after passage of Bill C-51 on the firearm suicide rate in Canada and the percentage of suicides using firearms. The analysis supports the position that restricting easy access to lethal methods of suicide may assist in reducing suicide.