Benefit of gun cabinets in homes in Alaskan villages

Installing a gun cabinet dramatically reduces unlocked guns and ammunition in the home, according to a study in rural Alaska villages where the residents are primarily Alaska Native people. David Grossman, Group Health Research Institute senior investigator and UW professor of health services, led the research published in the American Journal of Public Health March 8. Grossman is also a pediatrician and medical director for preventive care at Group Health. Grossman's research team included representatives from the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium , two Native health organizations ( Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation and Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation) , village tribal governments and faculty from UW Medicine's Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center. They identified households in six Alaska Native villages in the Bristol Bay and Yukon Kuskokwin Delta area of western Alaska. The study was a randomized trial with 255 gun-owning households. An $80 locking metal gun cabinet was installed free of charge in the homes, with participants given a brief safety message and instructions on how to use the gun cabinet, including keeping the key in a secure place.