Preventable Deaths are Lowering U.S. Life Expectancy

A report “Narrowing the Gap: The Burden of Alcohol, Drugs, and Firearms on U.S. Life Expectancy“, was published just last month on October, 2nd, by researchers from the AAMC Research and Action Institute. The report examines how substance and gun-related deaths have significantly impacted the average American’s life-expectancy, especially in comparison with other industrialized nations. In 2022 alone, the United States endured over 48,000 gun-related deaths and over 51,000 alcohol-related deaths. The study shows that these preventable deaths disproportionately effect children and young adults, ages 10-29, with most victims and shooters being male. Researchers Sara Solnick and David Hemenway revealed that the most “Common circumstances [of accidental firearm death] include playing with the gun (28.3% of incidents), thinking the gun was unloaded (17.2%), and hunting (13.8%). The victim is suspected to have consumed alcohol in nearly a quarter of the deaths and in 46.8% of deaths among those aged 20–29.”

The percentage of accidental firearm deaths related to alcohol in 20-29 year old is quite staggering, especially when considering how most of those effected are young men. Furthermore, the study found that if these statistics were taken out of the equation, life expectancy would increase by 1.6 years at birth. The journal concludes calling on gun manufacturers, safety instructors, and owners themselves to understand and better navigate the different circumstances in which an unintentional act can end in tragedy.

The study, however, falls short. The researchers neglected to analyze any legislation pertaining to gun-safety/regulation, as well as what it might mean when certain states gun-violence rates are higher than others. States like Mississippi, for example, where the gun-violence rate is the nation’s highest at 29.7%. Its opposite, Rhode Island, has the lowest gun-violence rate in the country is roughly 3.1%. “Narrowing the Gap” may simply be isolating the issue of accidental gun deaths and what we, as public citizens can do to do our part in preventing them, but providing no data about demographics besides age and gender, as well as trying to remain outside of political, economic, historical, and social contexts is a dangerous thing to do, considering American lawmakers and representatives hardly engage in taking accountability, as seen by the thirty-year window in which there was not a single piece of significant gun-safety legislation until the Bi-Partisan Safer Communities Act of 2022.

Additionally, the amount of alcohol advertisements and subliminal messaging in our every-day media messaging cannot be doing Americans any favors when we feel like we want a drink. While it is true that drinking in moderation is amoral and should remain a personal choice, the surrounding culture of overindulgence and consumption often lead to drinking too much and thus, making decisions that we would not have otherwise made. While it is important for us as individuals to be mindful of our coping mechanisms and how we practice gun-safety on our own, we must likewise keep advocating, marching, voting, and spend your money wisely until our common needs are met.