Surgeon General Declares Gun Violence A Health Crisis

June 25, 2024 Guns, Mass Shootings

The New York Times reports:

The U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, on Tuesday declared gun violence in America a public health crisis, recommending an array of preventive measures that he compared to past campaigns against smoking and traffic safety. The step follows years of calls by health officials to view firearm deaths through the lens of health rather than politics.

The National Rifle Association has vigorously opposed this framing and promoted legislation that effectively quashed federal funding for research into gun violence for a quarter-century. The N.R.A. also unsuccessfully lobbied against Dr. Murthy’s nomination as surgeon general by Barack Obama in 2014, calling him “a serious threat to the rights of gun owners.”

CNN reports:



The advisory says more money needs to be dedicated to firearms research to understand how to reduce and prevent firearm violence in the US, and investments must target better data collection and prevention strategies.

The advisory urges communities and health-care systems to step up to help populations that are particularly vulnerable to this kind of violence.

The advisory also calls for more gun laws, including requirements for safe and secure firearm storage, a ban on assault weapons, universal background checks and effective firearm removal policies. It also says firearms should be treated like any other regulated consumer products, such as cars or pesticides.

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