Study finds gun control support drops when taxpayers face costs

A new study published in Health Affairs Scholar indicates that public support for firearm restrictions in alcohol-serving venues declines significantly when voters are presented with specific implementation costs. The research, conducted by Robert Zeithammer, Supriya Kapur, Diana Silver, and James Macinko, found that while 56% to 74% of respondents supported such restrictions when no costs were mentioned, backing eroded once a modest annual tax of $100 per taxpayer was introduced.

The authors note that support remained a significant majority only for restrictions targeting specific groups, such as felons or intoxicated individuals, and only in large venues when the cost was included. The study highlights that current laws vary widely by state, with nearly every state having passed at least one type of alcohol-related firearm law, ranging from Texas’s revenue-based prohibitions to New Mexico’s bans on concealed carry in any premise where alcohol is consumed.

Read the full story at Ammoland.