[ti:Study Finds Worldwide Gun Deaths Have Reached 250,000 Yearly] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.16]A new study shows that guns are responsible [00:04.28]for about 250,000 deaths worldwide every year. [00:10.56]It also found that the United States [00:13.75]is among just six countries in which half of all gun deaths take place. [00:20.16]The findings are from one of the most [00:23.68]wide-reaching investigations of gun deaths to date. [00:28.80]A report on the study appeared in The Journal [00:32.04]of the American Medical Association in late August. [00:36.12]An editorial published with the report called [00:39.72]gun deaths "a major public health problem for humanity." [00:45.12]Recent news stories make it seem like [00:48.00]gun violence is increasing around the world. [00:51.96]But the new report tells a more complex story. [00:56.54]Researchers counted about 209,000 gun deaths [01:01.96]in 1990 compared to 251,000 in 2016. [01:08.56]But the average rate, about four per 100,000 people, [01:13.48]was mostly unchanged. [01:16.36]Two-thirds of the deaths in 2016 were listed as homicides. [01:21.60]Yet the United States is among wealthy countries [01:25.76]with more suicides by gun than gun killings, the study found. [01:31.40]In fact, U.S. gun suicides increased from 19,700, in 1990, [01:39.20]to 23,800, in 2016. [01:43.92]Christopher Murray, the lead investigator, [01:46.96]is a Professor of Global Health at the University of Washington. [01:52.36]He told the Associated Press the numbers show more [01:56.28]than "how many guns are around in a country." [02:00.36]Murray noted that cultural beliefs about guns and suicide [02:05.04]differ from one country to another around the world. [02:09.52]"That's where we get this incredible range of firearm deaths," Murray added. [02:15.72]There were larger increases in many of the 195 countries [02:21.34]involved in the study, especially in Central America and South America. [02:27.60]Researchers said the illegal drug trade [02:30.77]and economic unrest may have been partly responsible. [02:35.92]Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico and Venezuela are the countries that, [02:42.56]along with the U.S, were home to half the deaths the study reported. [02:48.24]El Salvador had the highest gun death rate of all. [02:52.80]Nearly 40 in every 100,000 Salvadorans died in gun violence. [02:59.20]Singapore had the lowest rate, with 0.1 death per 100,000 individuals. [03:07.40]The study raises concerns about the lack of research [03:10.94]on causes of gun violence and ways to prevent it, the editorial said. [03:16.84]I'm Pete Musto. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM