PEDIATRICS Vol. 79 No. 1 January 1987, pp. 167-168
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Who Says There Is a Handgun Epidemic?

KATHERINE K. CHRISTOFFEL MD, MPH1 and TOM CHRISTOFFEL JD2

1 Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Medical School, Division of General and Emergency Pediatrics, The Children's Memorial Hospital
2 Health Resources Management (Health Law), University of Illinois School of Public Health

In Reply.—

Dr Schrein raises two objections to our commentary on handguns: he (1) challenges the validity of our use of the term "epidemic" and (2) doubts whether the risk posed by handguns is greater than that of other consumer products, such as cars, BMX bikes, skateboards, and curling irons.

An epidemic is an "occurrence in a community or region of ...health related events clearly in excess of normal expectancy."1 The handgun death toll in this country meets this definition beyond any doubt.