THE AUSTRALIAN FIREARMS BUYBACK AND ITS EFFECT ON GUN DEATHS |
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| Authors: | WANG-SHENG LEE SANDY SUARDI |
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| Institution: | Lee:;Melbourne Institute of Applied Economics and Social Research, University of Melbourne, Level 7, 161 Barry Street, Carlton, VIC 3010, Australia. Phone +61 3 8344 2106, Fax +61 3 8344 2111, E-mail .
Suardi:;School of Economics and Finance, La Trobe University, VIC 3086, Australia. Phone +613 3 9479 2318, Fax +61 3 9479 1654, E-mail . |
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| Abstract: | The 1996-1997 National Firearms Agreement (NFA) in Australia introduced strict gun laws, primarily as a reaction to the mass shooting in Port Arthur, Tasmania, in 1996, where 35 people were killed. Despite the fact that several researchers using the same data have examined the impact of the NFA on firearm deaths, a consensus does not appear to have been reached. In this paper, we reanalyze the same data on firearm deaths used in previous research, using tests for unknown structural breaks as a means to identifying impacts of the NFA. The results of these tests suggest that the NFA did not have any large effects on reducing firearm homicide or suicide rates. (JEL C22, K19) |
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