▁in ▁gun - related ▁suic ides , ▁the ▁reduction ▁occurred ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁as ▁an ▁overall ▁reduction ▁in ▁the ▁Australian ▁suic ide ▁rate . ▁What ’ s ▁more , ▁fire arm - related ▁suic ides ▁had ▁been ▁decl ining ▁in ▁Australia ▁for ▁nearly ▁ten ▁years ▁before ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁restrictions ▁on ▁gun ▁ownership . ▁A ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁study ▁also ▁found ▁that ▁fire arm ▁suic ide ▁rates ▁were ▁decre asing ▁in ▁Australia ▁before ▁the ▁N FA ▁was ▁passed , ▁and ▁concluded ▁that ▁" The ▁implemented ▁restrictions ▁may ▁not ▁be ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁observed ▁redu ctions ▁in ▁fire ar ms ▁suic ide ." ▁Baker ▁and ▁Mc Ph ed ran ' s ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁study ▁has ▁been ▁critic ized ▁by ▁David ▁H emen way , ▁who ▁has ▁written ▁that ▁the ▁authors , ▁who ▁chose ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁as ▁the ▁starting ▁point ▁for ▁their ▁tr end ▁analysis , ▁failed ▁to ▁explain ▁why ▁they ▁assumed ▁the ▁gun ▁violence ▁rate ▁would ▁continue ▁to ▁decl ine . ▁H emen way ▁also ▁critic ized ▁their ▁study ▁for ▁using ▁a ▁counter fact ual ▁that ▁assumed ▁that ▁this ▁decl ine ▁would ▁continue ▁forever . ▁ ▁Su ic ide ▁reduction ▁from ▁fire arm ▁reg ulation ▁is ▁disput ed ▁by ▁Richard ▁Hard ing ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁book ▁" Fire ar ms ▁and ▁Vi ol ence ▁in ▁Australian ▁Life " ▁where , ▁after ▁review ing ▁Australian ▁statistics , ▁he ▁said ▁that ▁" wh atever ▁arguments ▁might ▁be ▁made ▁for ▁the