Gun Show 10-8-16

A handgun sold at a recent gun show in Birmingham (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com)

(Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com)

Almost half of those at risk of suicide surveyed by an Alabama researcher said they would consider placing their names on a list that temporarily bars them from purchasing guns, according to a recent study.

Fredrick Vars, a professor at the University of Alabama School of Law, said about 46 percent of the 200 people involved in the survey said they would be interested in voluntarily participating in the program. Vars presented the patients with two options: A voluntary sign-up and removal from the list with a seven-day waiting period, and an option that requires a judicial hearing for removal. The option without a judicial hearing won the most support.

Lawmakers often support measures to reduce gun violence toward others perpetrated by individuals with mental illness, even though suicide is much more common, Vars said. Guns in Alabama are much more likely to be used in a suicide than a homicide, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Alabama law prohibits individuals who have been involuntarily committed for psychiatric care from owning guns, but not those who have voluntarily sought treatment - who face restrictions in just a handful of states. Placing gun-ownership restrictions on those who seek voluntary treatment could discourage some people from seeking help, Vars said.

"There is an example out of Illinois that I have a lot of sympathy for," Vars said. "There was a security guard who went in for voluntary treatment of depression, lost his right to carry a gun and therefore lost his job. You don't want to discourage people from getting psychiatric help if they need it."

Alabama has high rates of gun ownership, and many residents strongly oppose additional restrictions of firearms sales. Vars said he and other investigators were surprised by how many people said they would participate in a voluntary Do Not Sell list.

A voluntary list would not infringe on Second Amendment rights, but would provide protection for individuals who fear they might try to commit suicide. Vars said he focuses on guns because they are one of the deadliest methods for committing suicide. Between 80 and 90 percent of those who attempt suicide using a firearm are successful, Vars said. About half of the 40,000 people who committed suicide in 2014 used a gun, according to the CDC.

If an individual voluntarily submitted his name to the Do Not Sell list, it would appear whenever a licensed gun dealer runs a standard background check, Vars said. The only cost for implementing the program would be in creating a system that allows people to submit their names to the list.

If half of the people who voluntarily seek psychiatric treatment opted to place their names on the list, that could add up to millions of individuals, he said. Research shows that suicide is often an impulsive act, and small barriers can successfully reduce the number of deaths.

Vars also said that suicidal people often don't switch to other methods of suicide if they are prevented from purchasing a gun. People who can't get access to guns who still attempt suicide would probably resort to less-lethal means, Vars said.

"Guns are so much more lethal than alternative methods," Vars said. "If you attempt with a gun, there is an 80 to 90 percent chance you'll die. Switching people from a very deadly method to a less deadly method will save a lot of lives."

Vars conducted his study alongside faculty members in the psychiatry department of the UAB School of Medicine. The team has been working on the research for about two years, Vars said.

"We were definitely surprised that so many people wanted to do this to protect themselves and maybe protect other people around them," he said.