David B. Kopel

Many gun-control advocates assert that removing firearms from the home would reduce the rate of teen suicide. In the following viewpoint, David B. Kopel contends that gun-control advocates have exaggerated the extent of teen suicide by firearms. Kopel argues that while the percentage of teen suicide by firearms is high in the United States, the numbers have remained stable for many years. However, he maintains, teen suicides have increased dramatically in other countries where guns are much more difficult to obtain. If guns are not available, teenagers who want to kill themselves will merely find another method, he claims. Kopel is the author of several books on gun control.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Kopel, what facts must be changed to make this statement true: “Every...