The rate of gun suicides among black male teens quadrupled between 1979 and 1994, then declined from 1994 to 1997. The peak for gun deaths for blacks and whites came in 1994, at 13.6 and 13.4 for every 100,000 people, respectively. While whites have traditionally had higher rates of suicide, the increased availability of firearms may have provoked an increase in gun suicides among blacks. Published in the March issue of Psychiatric Services. $7. The American Psychiatric Association, 1400 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20005. http://www.ps.psychiatryonline.org.
