Air-gun sales trigger deadly trouble

While potentially lethal air guns used to shoot pets in Dubai are readily available, there is confusion over which government body oversees sales.

Veterinarians, animal-rights groups and pet owners told Gulf News air guns have been used to shoot cats and dogs in the city. Some also warned that small children could be injured - or even killed - by the weapons.

Different types of air guns are sold in Dubai. They cause damage when used at close range.

If aimed at the eye, they can cause blindness. Veterinarians even report finding air-gun pellets (when animals are being X-rayed for other ailments) embedded in pets.

When it comes to regulating the sale of air guns, however, the system fails to protect consumers.

One big problem is that it is not clear which government authority takes care of the issue.

A municipal source said it was not responsible for air-gun rifles and pistols, which were considered weapons, not toys.

Sultan Suwaidi, Head of Environment Protection and Safety, said the municipality had the authority to put controls in place if the relevant government department did not.

"So far, there hasn't been a need," he said.

Gulf News contacted Dubai police for information and was directed to the weapons licensing section. An official declined to give any information and declined to refer the newspaper to a superior who could.

An interior ministry source said the issue was locally mandated, not federally mandated.

One parent said it was too easy to obtain a weapon.

"I went with my 10-year-old son [to a shop selling air guns]. He wanted an air-gun pistol. I asked the salesman if it was dangerous, but he said as long as I was happy to purchase the gun for my child, there was no problem."

Rifle and pistol air guns, classified as non-powder guns, can kill gazelles and deer if shot at close range, one air-gun salesman said.

Some air guns have a range of more than 90 metres. They are legally sold and vendors said no licence is needed to purchase them.

Air guns can be dangerous. This month, a 2-year-old child in Scotland died after being shot in the head by an air gun.

A US study found that four people die annually in the United States from non-powder gun injures.

In 2000, more than 21,000 were treated for injuries. Most of the injured were aged 5 to 25 and male.

In Dubai, a pamphlet advertising one brand of air gun offers "high power" and "extreme high power".

Some of the product's brand names resemble better known lethal weapons, including "magnum" air rifles, which can shoot a pellet at a speed of 360 metres per second.

Two kinds of pellets for shooting are available. The smaller version has a sharply pointed tip, while the larger one has a rounded tip. One trader said most buyers had "good intentions".

"Most people use them on their farms to shoot targets. Air guns don't have a powerful range," he said.

He does not sell to people younger than 18 unless they are accompanied by an adult, he said.

Even with regulations, air-gun use is difficult to control, he said.

"Whatever you do, you can't control what happens on private property," he said.

It was unacceptable to use air guns in residential areas or to aim a gun at a pet, the trader said.

Hazards

In the UK

• Air guns kill one person every year in the United Kingdom.
• In 2003, air weapons used in crime increased by 21 per cent, but non-air weapons used in crime increased by 35 per cent.
• About 77 per cent of all air-weapon offences involve criminal damage, but in only 16 per cent of all cases was somebody injured.

Source: UK parliamentary committee

In the US

• In the United States, an average of four people die each year of non-powder gun fatalities; most are children.
• In 2000, more than 21,000 were treated for injuries in hospital emergency rooms.
• About 50 per cent of the injured were aged 5 to 14.
• Most injuries were caused unintentionally and happened when there was no adult supervision.
• The velocity range of powerful air guns overlaps those of traditional firearms. The longer the barrel, the higher the velocity.
• The light weight of air-gun pellets means they can be swept by the blood flow more easily than traditional bullets, making them more fatal in some instances.
• Air-gun rifles are banned in New York State.

Source: US study