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U.S. Surgeon General Declares Gun Violence A “Public Health Issue” In Landmark Advisory
In a landmark advisory, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has declared gun violence a public health crisis, highlighting the rising rates of firearm-related deaths and offering comprehensive recommendations for community and policy action.
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By New Journal and Guide Staff Writer
WASHINGTON, D.C.
In a landmark advisory, the nation’s Top Doctor this week declared gun violence a public health crisis. It is a welcoming approach to curbing the devastation caused by gun violence that many activists in Black communities have long advocated.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General, said to the Associated Press in releasing the advisory on Tuesday (June 25), “People want to be able to walk through their neighborhoods and be safe.
“America should be a place where all of us can go to school, go to work, go to the supermarket, go to our house of worship, without having to worry that that’s going to put our life at risk.”
The Surgeon General, whose advisory comes at the beginning of an excessively hot summer, wrote the rate of firearm-related deaths in America has been rising and reached a near three-decade high in 2021. This crisis is being driven, in particular, by increases in firearm-related homicides over the last decade and firearm-related suicides over the last two decades.
Across all firearm-related deaths in 2022, more than half (56.1 percent) were from suicide, 40.8 percent were from homicide, and the remaining were from legal intervention, unintentional injuries, and injuries of unknown intent.
The advisory addresses the mental toll and stress on American citizens from the possibility of a mass shooting, and notes that one in three adults (33 percent) say fear prevents them from going to certain places or events.
“Beyond the profound consequences of surviving a firearm-related injury, those who do not experience direct bodily harm often grapple with mental health consequences related to firearm violence exposure, including community members, children and adolescents, and families,” the report observes.
Among the recommendations and proposals Murthy’s report offers are hospital-community partnerships to connect those who have experienced violence, or are at risk for violence; education on safe and secure firearm storage; safe and supportive physical environments and housing; equitable access to high-quality education and health care; opportunities for employment and economic growth; increased access to affordable, high-quality mental health care, substance use treatment, and other trauma-informed resources.
In addition to community-based prevention strategies, Murthy called for policy makers to implement universal background checks and expand purchaser licensing laws; ban assault weapons and large-capacity magazines for civilian use; and treat firearms like other consumer products. The report notes there are no federal standards or regulations regarding the safety of firearms produced in the U.S.
Murthy said while many experts and leaders are working ion the gun violence issue. It will take more of the collective commitment of the nation – to turn the tide on the crisis of firearm violence in America.
“A public health approach can guide our strategy and actions, as it has done in the past with successful efforts to address tobacco-related disease and motor vehicle crashes. It is up to us to take on this generational challenge with the urgency and clarity the moment demands. The safety and well-being of our children and future generations are at stake.”
