RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Airgun injuries in New Zealand, 1979-92.
JF Injury Prevention
JO Inj Prev
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 114
OP 117
DO 10.1136/ip.2.2.114
VO 2
IS 2
A1 J. D. Langley
A1 R. N. Norton
A1 J. C. Alsop
A1 S. W. Marshall
YR 1996
UL http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/2/2/114.abstract
AB OBJECTIVES: To describe the epidemiology of serious airgun injury in New Zealand. METHODS: Cases were selected from the New Zealand Health Information Service's hospital inpatient morbidity data files for the period 1979 to 1992 inclusive. RESULTS: There were 718 airgun related injuries resulting in 1.56 injuries/100,000 population/year. Males and 10-14 year olds had higher than average rates of injury. The majority of the incidents were unintentional. There has been a marked decline in injury rates since 1989. CONCLUSIONS: Airgun injuries, while not as serious as powder firearm injuries, account for a significant personal and societal burden. The results suggest that strategies aimed at controlling these injuries, especially those pertaining to children, are in need of review.