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Proposed legislation aims to reduce suicides committed with firearms

Rep. Melissa Sargent expresses urgency in addressing Wisconsin’s suicide rates
Proposed+legislation+aims+to+reduce+suicides+committed+with+firearms
Marissa Haegele

As part of Suicide Awareness Month, Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, introduced legislation aimed at reducing the number of suicides committed with firearms in Wisconsin.

The proposed bill would allow individuals who might be at risk of suicide to voluntarily prohibit themselves from purchasing handguns for one, five or 20 years.

The legislation would allow individuals with a history of mental illness to register themselves on a firearms exclusion list while they are not in a mental health crisis. Should a crisis emerge, they will be unable to obtain a firearm and have taken proactive steps to protect themselves.

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“It is super important we let people know this does not mandate people to give up their firearms — it’s completely voluntary,” Sargent said. “It does allow people to protect themselves, and it does help remove the stigma associated with suicide.”

https://badgerherald.com/news/2017/09/05/uhs-launches-phone-based-model-for-mental-health-consultations/

The deadliest attempts at suicide are those that involve firearms, with 85 percent of suicide attempts with guns being fatal, Sargent said.

Suicides take up a large majority of gun-related deaths in Wisconsin, Shel Gross, public policy director at Mental Health America in Wisconsin, said. 

In Wisconsin alone, firearms account for more than 45 percent of suicide deaths.

According to Sargent, data suggests when guns are removed from suicidal individuals, it reduces the chances they will successfully commit or even attempt suicide.

In the same vein, Gross said reducing access to firearms makes a real difference in an individual’s probability of committing suicide.

“One of the most effective ways to reduce suicides is to separate people from firearms,” Gross said.

https://badgerherald.com/news/2016/05/02/report-shows-child-gun-deaths-up-by-31-percent-in-wisconsin/

Gross, however, raised several potential problems with the bill.

People at risk of suicide may still be able to purchase handguns from dealers who aren’t required to perform background checks before selling guns, Gross said.

Also, individuals who may be suicidal at a certain time in their lives may have gun-related hobbies which they wouldn’t be able to participate in during the length of time they excluded themselves from purchasing firearms, Gross said.

Despite the concerns, both Mental Health America and Journey Mental Health Center support the legislation.

https://badgerherald.com/news/2017/09/12/concealed-carry-permit-applications-double-during-last-year/

The bill is modeled after moderately successful programs in other states that allowed people to voluntarily exclude themselves from gambling institutions if they felt they were addicted to gambling, Sargent said. 

Sargent also expressed a sense of urgency in addressing the problem of suicide in Wisconsin.

“[It is] past time to do everything we can in order to remove the stigma associated with suicide,” Sargent said. “When we talk about suicide as a reality in our community and empower people who have experience in that realm, we are taking steps to remove that stigma.”

https://badgerherald.com/news/2016/02/09/mental-health-care-reform-gains-traction-in-wisconsin/

Sen. LaTonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee, began circulating the proposal for co-sponsorship two weeks ago. But so far only Democrats, a minority in both chambers of the state legislature, have signed on.

Sargent acknowledged the difficulty of bipartisanship in the current political climate, but called the measure “common sense.”

“I’m hopeful that people will be able to put partisan affiliations aside to help the people of Wisconsin to reduce suicide,” Sargent said.

Sargent expressed the proposal’s significance to herself and the individuals and communities in Wisconsin that have dealt with suicide.

This bill, she said, is one she’s very “passionate” about.

“I have been impacted by people that have committed suicide … it’s important that we as policymakers stand up when things aren’t working in our community and work to make things more safe,” Sargent said. 

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