Can Media Effects Counteract Legislation Reforms? The Case of Adolescent Firearm Suicides in the Wake of the Austrian Firearm Legislation

To assess the impact of the Austrian firearm legislation (1997) on adolescent suicides, we investigated time trends in youth suicide prevalence (1986-2006) with Poisson regression. A temporary increase in firearm suicides after the reform was observed, followed by a continuous decrease. The hypothesis that media reporting triggered the short-term backlash effect is discussed.