Reducing knife crime

doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7502.1221

BMJ 2005;330:1221-1222 (28 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7502.1221

Editorial

Reducing knife crime

We need to ban the sale of long pointed kitchen knives

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

"Britain in the grip of knives terror—third of murdervictims are now stabbed to death." Daily Express, 31 January2005
"Stabbing rampage kills one, injures five—a largekitchen knife was found." Independent, 24 December 2004

Violent crime in the United Kingdom is increasing; figures fromLondon show a 17.9% increase from 2003 to 2004,¹ and one easilyaccessible weapon used in many incidents is the kitchen knife.Unfortunately, no data seem to have been collected to indicatehow often kitchen knives are used in stabbings, but our ownexperience and that of police officers and pathologists we havespoken to indicates that they are used in at least half of allcases. UK government statistics show that 24% of 16 year oldboys report carrying knives or other weapons and 19% admittingattacking someone with the intent to harm.² Although other weapons—suchas baseball bats, screwdrivers, and chains—are also . . . [Full text of this article]

Emma Hern, specialist registrar in emergency medicine, Will Glazebrook, specialist registrar in emergency medicine

Mike Beckett, consultant in emergency medicine

West Middlesex University Hospital, London TW7 6AF (emmah@doctors.org.uk)

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This article has been cited by other articles:

Maxwell, R., Trotter, C., Verne, J., Brown, P., Gunnell, D. (2007). Trends in admissions to hospital involving an assault using a knife or other sharp instrument, England, 1997-2005. J Public Health (Oxf) 29: 186-190 [Abstract] [Full text]
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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

The ban of kitchen knives is not the way to act.: May Wung
bmj.com, 27 May 2005 [Full text]
An unworkable proposal: Alan R Denison
bmj.com, 27 May 2005 [Full text]
An extreme measure to make a point: David J Hartin
bmj.com, 27 May 2005 [Full text]
Are they serious?: Andrew Philip Lessnoff
bmj.com, 27 May 2005 [Full text]
Accidents involving long pointed kitchen knifes: Yahaya Mt Hassan
bmj.com, 27 May 2005 [Full text]
The Spork solution: Saif S Rathore
bmj.com, 27 May 2005 [Full text]
God save the Queen from kitchen knives!: Heather E. Chase
bmj.com, 28 May 2005 [Full text]
Disappointing responses: David Abrahamson
bmj.com, 28 May 2005 [Full text]
Aichmophobia?: Godfrey S Bartlett
bmj.com, 28 May 2005 [Full text]
Knives, forks and crime: Giusto Giusti, et al.
bmj.com, 28 May 2005 [Full text]
Homicide: Ian S Sturrock
bmj.com, 29 May 2005 [Full text]
Control Group.: Michael R Neal, et al.
bmj.com, 29 May 2005 [Full text]
Knives don't kill people, people kill people.: Gary B. Carpenter
bmj.com, 29 May 2005 [Full text]
Re: Disappointing responses: Peter KK Au-Yeung
bmj.com, 30 May 2005 [Full text]
Are you missing the point?: Harvey J. Marrable
bmj.com, 30 May 2005 [Full text]
Think before you ban: Mike Daube
bmj.com, 30 May 2005 [Full text]
Re: Disappointing responses: Michael R Neal
bmj.com, 31 May 2005 [Full text]
Nixing Nibs.: Robert I. Rudolph, M.D., FACP
bmj.com, 31 May 2005 [Full text]
Is it practical to ban long pointed knives?: Martin Pool
bmj.com, 31 May 2005 [Full text]
How cool is a kitchen knife?: Brian J Anthony
bmj.com, 31 May 2005 [Full text]
A proper risk assessment: Ravi A Ramaswami, et al.
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Please stick to being doctors.: Collin W. Rink
bmj.com, 1 Jun 2005 [Full text]
Shaky hypothesis, poor analysis: Matthew B Craver
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Deja Vu (All Over Again): Robert C. Solomon
bmj.com, 1 Jun 2005 [Full text]
The BMJ devolves into farce: Kevin C. Fleming
bmj.com, 2 Jun 2005 [Full text]
A sound proposal: V�ctor Lipovetzky
bmj.com, 3 Jun 2005 [Full text]
Re: Deja Vu (All Over Again): Thomas J Helling
bmj.com, 3 Jun 2005 [Full text]
Banning Knives: Christopher M Milroy
bmj.com, 3 Jun 2005 [Full text]
Stabbing: data support public perception: Charles H Knowles, et al.
bmj.com, 5 Sep 2006 [Full text]
Cllr Joan Mctigue: Joan McTigue
bmj.com, 30 Dec 2007 [Full text]
A lack of priorities: Richard Hemingway
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Need for moral teachings in Schools: Dr Theetam Thinnunna Panni
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