▁have ▁argued ▁that ▁alternative ▁methods ▁of ▁suic ide ▁have ▁been ▁subst it uted . ▁De ▁Leo , ▁D w yer , ▁Fir man ▁& ▁Ne ul inger , ▁studied ▁suic ide ▁methods ▁in ▁men ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁and ▁found ▁a ▁rise ▁in ▁h anging ▁suic ides ▁that ▁started ▁slightly ▁before ▁the ▁fall ▁in ▁gun ▁suic ides . ▁As ▁h anging ▁suic ides ▁rose ▁at ▁about ▁the ▁same ▁rate ▁as ▁gun ▁suic ides ▁fell , ▁it ▁is ▁possible ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁some ▁substitution ▁of ▁suic ide ▁methods . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁noted ▁that ▁drawing ▁strong ▁conclus ions ▁about ▁possible ▁impact s ▁of ▁gun ▁laws ▁on ▁suic ides ▁is ▁challeng ing , ▁because ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁suic ide ▁prevent ion ▁programs ▁were ▁implemented ▁from ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 9 0 s ▁on wards , ▁and ▁non - fire arm ▁suic ides ▁also ▁began ▁falling . ▁ ▁A ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁study ▁found ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁two ▁years ▁following ▁the ▁N FA ' s ▁en act ment , ▁rates ▁of ▁armed ▁rob ber y ▁and ▁attempted ▁murder ▁decre ased ▁significantly ▁relative ▁to ▁rates ▁of ▁sexual ▁assault , ▁but ▁that ▁the ▁evidence ▁was ▁less ▁clear ▁with ▁regard ▁to ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁rate ▁of ▁un ar med ▁rob ber y ▁following ▁the ▁law . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁Sam ara ▁Mc Ph ed ran , ▁a ▁Griff ith ▁University ▁academic ▁and ▁chair ▁of ▁the ▁International ▁Co al ition ▁for ▁Women ▁in ▁Sho