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. 2022 Jun 7;10(2):E500-E507.
doi: 10.9778/cmajo.20210192. Print 2022 Apr-Jun.

The effect of legislation on firearm-related deaths in Canada: a systematic review

Nick Bennett  1 , Manolhas Karkada  1 , Mete Erdogan  1 , Robert S Green  2 ; Heal-NS Research Program
Affiliations

The effect of legislation on firearm-related deaths in Canada: a systematic review

Nick Bennett et al. CMAJ Open. .

Abstract

Background: Firearm misuse is common in cases of homicide, suicide and unintentional injury; this is a major public health issue, with societal and economic costs extending beyond the immediate injury or loss of life. We sought to review the evidence on the effectiveness of Canadian legislation in reducing deaths caused by firearms.

Methods: Five databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science and Scopus) were searched from inception to May 2021 for studies evaluating the effect of Canadian gun control laws Bill C-51 (1977), Bill C-17 (1991) and Bill C-68 (1995) on rates of firearm-related death. Two reviewers performed article screening independently and in duplicate. We synthesized data using descriptive statistics. The primary outcome of interest was firearm-related mortality rates. Because of study heterogeneity, a meta-analysis was not performed.

Results: Overall, 1479 articles were screened, and 18 studies were included. Ten studies examined the effect on homicides, of which 5 reported a reduction during the postlegislation period; 1 study reported evidence of substitution from firearms to other methods of homicide among people aged 15-24 years. Eleven studies evaluated the effect on suicides, with 9 finding a reduction in suicide rates. Eight of these studies reported evidence of substitution from firearms to other suicide methods. Two studies investigated accidental deaths; neither reported any benefit after legislation.

Interpretation: Evidence supporting the effectiveness of Canadian firearms legislation in the reduction of homicide and accidental death rates is inconclusive; a decrease in firearm-related suicide rates was observed by most studies, but evidence of method substitution was also identified. Re-evaluation of existing laws may be beneficial to build an improved and effective evidence-based national framework for prevention of gun violence.

Prospero registration: CRD42020192486.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared. None of the authors declare participation of any kind in any pro- or anti-gun lobby groups.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Flow diagram of studies selected for inclusion in the review.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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