More Ohioans now keep at least one firearm at home than five years ago, and one of every 10 Ohioans has a loaded, unlocked weapon in a home with children.
The Ohio Health Issues Poll uncovered these and other measures of gun ownership in Ohio in a survey released Wednesday. The poll found the rate of gun ownership went from 36 percent to 42 percent in four years. Nearly 60 percent of millennial Ohioans reported they keep guns at home; by contrast, four of 10 Ohio baby boomers have firearms at home.
The survey on guns is one of a series on Ohio health problems sponsored and released by the Norwood-based nonprofit Interact for Health. The Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati questioned 836 adults in late June through July. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
“The number of deaths related to guns has continued to increase in Ohio,” said Dr. O’dell Owens, president and chief executive officer of Interact for Health. “As we continue to debate policy changes related to firearms, it is vitally important to better understand how our neighbors use and store firearms.”
The number of Ohioans who die from gun injuries has been steadily rising for the past 10 years. In 2016, about 1,500 Ohioans died from gun injuries. The third-leading cause of death in children after accidents and suicide is homicide, mainly by guns.
Studies have shown that access to guns at home increases the risk of violent death.
The poll comes out as the national conversation about guns and gun control has risen in volume since 17 people were killed last month in a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Last week, hundreds of students at area schools walked out of their classes in a demonstration to push for tighter gun laws. On Saturday, Douglas students are leading a march on Washington to demand gun restrictions; similar marches are scheduled across Northeast Ohio.
On Wednesday, gun-control advocates pushed at the Ohio Statehouse for more regulation. Gov. John Kasich recently proposed six changes to Ohio gun laws, including a “red flag” proposal that would enable family members or police to ask judges to temporarily strip gun rights from people showing warning signs of violence.
The Ohio Health Issues Poll asked three questions about guns:
- Are there any firearms kept in or around your home?
- Are any of these firearms now loaded?
- Are any of these loaded firearms also unlocked?
While about half of all men in Ohio said they have guns, African-Americans overall are more likely to keep their guns unloaded and locked at home. About 60 percent of white men and 66 percent of white women said they keep their guns loaded and unlocked at home.
