WASHINGTON - Sudden deaths caused by the use of stun guns increased six-fold in the very first year that they were deployed in California.
Stun guns like the Taser deliver a high-frequency, high-voltage current to incapacitate victims by causing momentary neuromuscular incapacitation.
They are in use by over 12,000 law enforcement, military and correctional agencies in the US and abroad, according to reporting by Taser International Inc.
While industry-funded human studies have shown that Tasers cause no harm, the latest study suggested they pose greater dangers than previous reports said, said study author Zian H. Tseng, University of California San Francisco (UCSF).
Although the device has been introduced to decrease numbers of shooting deaths and injuries, study results showed an increase rather than decrease in rate of shooting deaths, following their deployment.
‘Physicians and law enforcement agencies need real-world knowledge of the effects of Taser use so that risks can be weighed in establishing appropriate policies and techniques,’ said Tseng, also assistant clinical professor in cardiology at UCSF.
‘There have been a number of animal and controlled human studies, but none that test how Tasers are used in the real world, where subjects may have pre-existing medical conditions or be under the influence of narcotics.’
Under the Public Records Act and the Freedom of Information Act, researchers mailed surveys to 126 police and sheriff departments in California cities and the 10 largest cities in the US.
The survey requested three types of information: the rates of in-custody sudden deaths in the absence of lethal force, firearm-related deaths, and officer injuries requiring emergency room visits.
Data on the rates of sudden death pre- and post-Taser deployment were provided by 50 cities, while 21 cities reported firearm deaths and four cities reported officer injuries.
None of the 10 largest US cities returned surveys. The team used total annual arrest data per city as reported by the Department of Justice.
For each law enforcement agency that responded, researchers gathered data for the five years prior to the deployment of Tasers and for five years after.
This allowed the research team, which included epidemiologists, cardiologists and statisticians, to observe how device deployment impacted the number of emergency events that lawmen experienced, said a UCSF release.
‘Sudden deaths are extremely rare events, but it is important to look into why these events happen and whether law enforcement agencies are fully informed of the real-world risks of Taser deployment,’ said Byron Lee, co-author and Tseng’s counterpart.
These findings were published online by the American Journal of Cardiology.
Related News
Popular antidepressant 'increases suicidal thoughts amongst men'October 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Nortriptyline, a popular antidepressant, causes a ten-fold increase in suicidal thoughts in men when compared to its competitor escitalopram, a new study has found. Published in the open access journal BMC Medicine, the research was carried out by Dr.
Algae and pollen grains reveal sudden spike in Antarctica's temperature 15.7 mln yrs agoOctober 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - A team of scientists has found evidence in the form of algae and pollen grains of a sudden, remarkably warm period in Antarctica that occurred about 15.7 million years ago and lasted for a few thousand years. The evidence was found by Sophie Warny, LSU (Louisiana State University) assistant professor of geology and geophysics and curator at the LSU Museum of Natural Science, and colleagues.
CDC study: Drug deaths surpass traffic fatalities in 16 statesSeptember 30th, 2009 In 16 states, drug deaths overtake traffic fatalsATLANTA — In 16 states and counting, drugs now kill more people than auto accidents do, the government said Wednesday. Experts said the startling shift reflects two opposite trends: Driving is becoming safer, and the legal and illegal use of powerful prescription painkillers is on the rise.
Six fold increase in porn surfing at federal agencySeptember 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A six fold increase in employee misconduct investigations, particularly involving workers accessing pornography from their government computers, has been observed at the National Science Foundation (NSF), a taxpayer-funded foundation in the US that doles out billions of dollars of scientific research grants. Budget documents and other records reveal that the pervasive problems at NSF have even swamped the agency's inspector general.
UK police use stun gun to subdue man with pistol at London's Gatwick AirportJuly 29th, 2009 Police use stun gun on man with pistol at GatwickLONDON — British police say officers used a stun gun to subdue a man carrying a pistol at London's Gatwick Airport. Sussex Police say the man was spotted by another passenger on a bus to the airport early Wednesday.
FDA tells parents to keep children on ADHD drugs, despite new evidence of sudden death risksJune 15th, 2009 FDA urges caution in weighing risks of ADHD drugsWASHINGTON — Federal health regulators are urging parents to keep their children on attention deficit drugs like Ritalin and Adderall, despite new evidence from a government-backed study that the stimulants can increase the risk of sudden death. Published Monday in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the study suggests a link between use of the stimulant drugs and sudden death in children and adolescents.
Senate backs amendment to allow loaded guns in national parksMay 13th, 2009 Senate backs allowing guns in national parksWASHINGTON — The Senate has approved a measure that would allow people to carry loaded guns in national parks and wildlife refuges. Republican Sen.
TRS formally joins NDA foldMay 10th, 2009 LUDHIANA - The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), fighting for a separate Telangana state in Andhra Pradesh, Sunday formally joined the National Democratic Alliance at a public rally here Sunday. TRS chief K.
Kidney failure big new killer on the horizonApril 2nd, 2009 SYDNEY - Kidney failure has emerged as a new killer on the horizon in Australia, resulting in more deaths than cardiovascular disease. Data from 2007 released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show kidney and urinary tract diseases have jumped to 10th on the leading cause of death list with 3,230 deaths being attributed as the single underlying cause.
Sudden spell of rain lifts mood in DelhiMarch 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A sudden spell of drizzle in some parts of the national capital lifted the mood of its residents as many people took time off from work to enjoy the pleasant weather that the Met department said would last for a few days. According to an official of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD): 'The sudden showers were because of the western disturbances over the northern regions of the country.'
'The city can experience more rain in the next few days.
Family history linked to increased blood clot riskMarch 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Children and siblings of people with venous thrombosis, or blood clots in the veins, may be more than twice as likely to develop the condition than those without a family history, say Dutch researchers. Venous thrombosis typically begins in leg veins, although the clot may subsequently break off and travel to the lungs.
Stun guns may cause seizuresMarch 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new case report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) has determined that stun guns, in certain circumstances, may result in brain-specific complications such as seizures. An analysis of an incident where a previously well police officer was mistakenly hit by a taser shot with 2 barbs in the upper back and head meant for a suspect indicates that seizures may occur and should be considered an adverse event related to the use of these devices.
'KISS' therapy offers new hope for infertile womenMarch 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - British researchers claim that hormone kisspeptin shows promise as a potential new treatment for infertility. The study, led by Dr Waljit Dhillo from Imperial College London, has shown that giving kisspeptin to women with infertility can activate the release of sex hormones, which control the menstrual cycle.
Kisspeptin stimulates sex hormone in infertile womenMarch 17th, 2009 LONDON - Hormone kisspeptin shows promise as a potential new treatment for infertility in women, according to a new study. Scientists of Imperial College have shown that giving kisspeptin to women with infertility can activate the release of sex hormones which control the menstrual cycle.
Angry heart can trigger sudden deathFebruary 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Beware of doubling up in fury against someone who said or did something to offend you on the road or at a party or at a public place. The latest research from Yale School of Medicine (YSM) warns that changes brought on by anger or other strong emotions trigger arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrests, which kills 4,00,000 people annually in the US alone.
Loading ...