I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
Did you know that there are 600 injuries — and about 300 deaths — related to guns every year in New Mexico? Or that gun-related deaths was the second-leading cause of death in N.M., until drug overdoses and falls pushed them down to fourth?
Those facts, and much more, can be found in a state Department of Health report.
The 43-page report showed that 3,165 visits for gun-related injuries were reported by NM emergency departments between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2006. These include 2,986 initial visits and 179 transfer or other secondary visits.
The report also showed that:
• NM emergency departments see an average 633 gun-related injury visits a year.
• 73% involved firearms (powder weapons) and 20% involved BB and pellet guns
• 15- to 29-year-olds had the highest rates of non-fatal firearm injuries
• 10- to 14-year-olds had the highest rate for BB/Pellet emergency department visits
• An average of 45% of firearm injury cases were treated and released from the emergency department, but another 43% were admitted as inpatients
• Unlike overall injuries, with one death for every 118 non-fatal injuries treated, emergency departments reported one gun-related death for every 1.2 nonfatal visits.
