In a historic first, the US Surgeon General has declared gun violence an urgent public health crisis.
“Firearm violence is an urgent public health crisis that has led to loss of life, unimaginable pain, and profound grief for far too many Americans,” Dr. Vivek Murthy said in a statement released Tuesday.
The advisory marks the first time the surgeon general has focused on gun violence and its “profound consequences.”
“People are scared in many communities I visit around the country to do normal things like go to school or the grocery store or work and they’re worried about the risk to their life,” Murthy said in an interview with CBS Mornings.
On Friday, four people were killed and nine others injured when a suspect opened fire at an Arkansas grocery store.
Research has shown that firearm violence is the leading cause of death among kids and teens in the US, and the rates of gun-related deaths are much higher than those of other high-income countries.
In 2022, more than 48,000 people were killed from firearm injuries, 8,000 more people than those who died in 2019.
Gun violence has a cascading effect. Although it may only seem to impact the victim, research has shown firearm violence plays a large role in mothers who witness a shooting meeting the criteria for depression and people in the community letting the fear of a mass shooting prevent them from attending certain events.
According to a survey, more than 50% of Americans reported that either they or a family member experienced a firearm related incident, 21% reported being threatened by a firearm, and 19% have had a family member die as the result of a firearm.
“We don’t have to continue down this path, and we don’t have to subject our children to the ongoing horror of firearm violence in America. All Americans deserve to live their lives free from firearm violence, as well as from the fear and devastation that it brings. It will take the collective commitment of our nation to turn the tide on firearm violence,” Murthy said.
To combat the urgent public health crisis, Murthy has called on the US to ban automatic rifles, introduce background checks, pass laws that would restrict firearm use in public spaces, and penalize those who fail to safely store their weapons.
“The safety and well-being of our children and future generations are at stake.”
I hope this brings a much needed change to the US because something needs to be done.
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