Access to treatment is best to avert harm by mentally ill

By Ira Zunin

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Feb 16, 2013

~~<p>The recent shooting spree at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, which left 26 people dead, including 20 children, ignited a conversation about gun control throughout the nation. With profound emotion during his State of the Union address this week, President Barack Obama implied that the tragedy might have catalyzed efforts to ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.</p>
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<td>Department of Health Adult Mental Health Division mental health crisis hotline: 832-3100 or 800-753-6879</td>
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<p>Proponents of the $32 billion-per-year firearm industry have cause for concern. It is big business. There are more than 129,817 federally licensed firearms dealers in the United States, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Of those, 51,438 are retail gun stores, 7,356 are pawnshops and 61,562 are collectors, with the balance of the licenses belonging mostly to manufacturers and importers.</p>
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The recent shooting spree at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, which left 26 people dead, including 20 children, ignited a conversation about gun control throughout the nation. With profound emotion during his State of the Union address this week, President Barack Obama implied that the tragedy might have catalyzed efforts to ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. Department of Health Adult Mental Health Division mental health crisis hotline: 832-3100 or 800-753-6879

Proponents of the $32 billion-per-year firearm industry have cause for concern. It is big business. There are more than 129,817 federally licensed firearms dealers in the United States, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Of those, 51,438 are retail gun stores, 7,356 are pawnshops and 61,562 are collectors, with the balance of the licenses belonging mostly to manufacturers and importers. Login for more...