While the relationship between gun violence and mental health get lots of attention, numerous studies have established a much stronger link between excessive alcohol consumption and gun violence.
What The Research Says
While politicians and media give a lot of attention to mental health in relation to gun violence, such a link has not been established in research. In fact, roughly 3 to 5% of violent crime is thought to be caused by people with a mental illness.
By contrast, alcohol misuse is much more of a risk factor for gun violence. A link between the two has been widely established in medical research:
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