CBS’s Blue Bloods pushes the notion that easy access to guns and street causes suicides. The claim that suicides with guns have a higher success rate than other methods of suicide is simply false. This is not the first television show where the causation between guns and suicide is pushed (e.g., see this other CBS show from 2019). Other television show bias on gun ownership can be found here.
For example, a study by Los Angeles County looked at 4,117 cases of completed suicide in Los Angeles County during a four year period, and found that the success rate for being hit by a train is virtually the same as for a gunshot to the head or a shotgun to the chest. The study also estimated that the amount of pain and discomfort from being hit by a train was about half that of the other two methods. Other evidence shows that having more people carry concealed handguns, so that more people have handguns with them whenever they might be depressed, has no impact on suicide rates. Even when guns are banned, there are no drops in suicide rates. See also evidence of locking up guns on suicide available here.
(Blue Bloods, CBS, Season 10, Episode 12, January 10, 2020)
You misread the scene. Their talking about COPS suicides not civilians ones.The teenager asks why do COPS kill themselves then they each respond with reasons:the stress of the job,it’s easy access to a gun,the cumulative trauma of the job….(watched the whole scene on Youtube).Since cops live such stressful, traumatic lives and if they’re not strong enough to endure they will obviously go for their gun…The phrase “it’s easy access to a gun” means for that JOB the person(cop) carries a gun with him /her through most of his /hers days.If the cop falls into deep depression and doesn’t seek help, they’ll find the fastest way to end all the pain.They don’t need to buy a gun,get a permit or get it out of their gun cabinet at their home nor do they need to find a knife,poison or any other tool to use.They’ll use what they’re familiar with their gun…it’s there on their hip hours a day….
There was nothing misread here. The claim was that the easy access to guns by police was the cause of police committing suicides at high rates. Our point was that easy access to guns doesn’t cause higher suicide rates. The point is true for both police and civilians.