The Walmart Effect: Study Finds Link Between Walmart Gun Sales and Suicide Rate

[mastermind]

https://ianayres.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/The Walmart Effect SSRN.pdf

This article tests the impact of Walmart’s corporate decisions to end the sale of handguns at its stores in 1994 and to discontinue the sale of all firearms at approximately 59% of its stores in 2006 before resuming firearms sales at some of those stores in 2011. Using a difference-indifferences framework, we find that from 1994 to 2005 counties with Walmarts robustly experienced a reduction in the suicide rate and experienced no change in the homicide rate. These models, which control for a variety of legal, social and demographic variables, as well as county and time fixed effects, suggest that Walmart’s policy change caused a 3.3 to 7.5% reduction in the suicide rate within affected counties – which represents an estimated 5,104 to 11,970 lives saved over the studied period (425-998 per year). These reductions were particularly pronounced in counties in large metropolitan areas, with lower indicia of social capital, and with weaker gun control laws. We also find a separate, statistically significant (though only corollary) impact of gun control laws – with a one standard deviation increase in the number of gun laws correlated with a 0.2 to 14.4% decrease in suicide rate. In contrast, Walmart’s 2006 and 2011 decisions to discontinue and subsequently resume the sale of rifles and shotguns in many of its stores was not associated with a robustly measured effect on homicide or suicide rates. We do find evidence that Walmart’s 2006 decision to reduce the number of its stores that sold firearms caused a statistically significant reduction in the suicide rate for counties in which Walmart did not subsequently resume firearms sales.

 

[mastermind]

Balkinization

In fact, in a forthcoming statistical analysis we find that Walmart’s 1994 decision to stop selling handguns reduced firearm suicides without increasing non-firearm suicide. From 1994 to 2005, controlling for a variety of legal, social and demographic variables, counties with Walmart stores experienced a 3.3 to 7.5% reduction in the gun suicide rate (without an increase in non-gun suicides). Our estimates suggest that Walmart’s decision to stop selling handguns has saved between 425–998 lives every year. Between 1994 and 2005, this represents more than 5,000 lives saved. On the other hand, Walmart’s 2006 and 2011 decisions to discontinue then resume the sale of rifles and shotguns in many of its stores did not significantly impact suicide. The greater effect of the 1994 no-handgun policy makes sense. Seventy-five percent of firearm suicides involve handguns.

The Walmart example shows that the decisions of private businesses can significantly reduce gun violence. This is not to say that public policy has no role. To the contrary, many public policy interventions have been demonstrated to reduce gun violence, especially gun suicide. Gun sales have surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, raising concerns about increased risk of suicide and domestic violence homicide. But public policies have mitigated the surge in some states. For example, states like New York where gun shops have been closed as non-essential businesses and states with licensing requirements have experienced a reduction in firearm sales.

 

[mastermind]

THis is similar to the British Coal-Gas study about suicide declining in the UK as they removed carbon monoxide from the house use.

A lot of people commit suicide out of opportunity.