rson incurs in medical treatment in $9,646. The figure does not include ambulance costs, follow-up care, medication, or rehabilitation. It also escalates if intensive care is required, reaching as much as $150,000 per patient. The financial burden for the injury moreover, is borne by the public. A study at a San Francisco Hospital noted that 86% of the expenses incurred by firearm injuries are paid out of taxes. Guns and violence have, therefore, become a part of the nation’s debate over health care costs. The President cited guns as a reason for rising medical bills in his address to Congress two weeks ago, and Hillary Rodham Clinton endorse Senator Bill Bradley’s call for a 25% sales tax on “the purveyors of violence.” The levee would go towards funding health care. The cost of treating firearm injuries in the U.S. exceeds $4 billion dollars a year, according to congressional and gun control group estimates. One of the spinal cord injuries in Detroit found that 40% percent resulted from gunshots. According to New York Congressman Major Owens: “We cannot expect to rein-in the costs of our health care system if emergency rooms are overflowing with victims of gun violence.” While the 500 plus members of the Clinton health care task force considered everything from defining who is a part-time worker to estimating the number of jobs lost because of reform, little attention was paid to violence. That may soon change. Dr. David Satcher, Clinton’s newly appointed director who is a part-time worker to estimating the number of jobs lost because of reform, little attention was paid to violence. (Thompson, 1993) Indeed, there are extremely high, as well as escalating costs relating to victims of gunfire. Many of these are attributed to domestic violence, and far too many are related to accidents. Members of the family cause many of these accidents, particularly children, who fool around with the ‘ho...
