Tackling US Gun Violence as a Public Health Crisis: Will it Help?
US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has declared gun violence a public health crisis, aiming to reduce the nation’s high incidence of shooting deaths. In an unprecedented report calling for action, the top doctor highlighted that a significant number of Americans or their loved ones have encountered gun violence.
Dr. Murthy advocates for a public health strategy, drawing parallels to successful campaigns for seatbelt use and smoking cessation. His goal is to depoliticize the issue and focus on the impact and data surrounding gun violence. “I want people to grasp the extensive impact gun violence has on the United States,” Dr. Murthy told the BBC.
“For each life lost, two others are shot and injured, facing mental and physical health issues, grieving family members, witnesses, and millions who are affected by reading or hearing about gun violence daily,” he explained.
Gun safety advocates are cautiously hopeful about the advisory, viewing it as a step towards shifting public perception. “This isn’t a political issue,” said Dr. Chethan Sathya, director of Northwell Health’s Center for Gun Violence Prevention. “It’s about safer communities, firearm safety, and violence prevention.”
Experts acknowledge that while the 40-page report is symbolic and does not mandate policy changes, it is seen as progress in reducing deaths and reshaping the conversation about guns in America. Dr. Sathya describes it as “legitimizing” the use of research and public health strategies to address the issue.
“This isn’t just about needing background checks,” he said. “We need various nuanced policies and strategies that make sense for all Americans.” The report emphasizes understanding the problem’s scope: since 2020, guns have been the leading cause of death for children and young Americans. The US gun death rate is 11.4 times higher than in 28 other high-income countries, making it a uniquely American problem.
“We don’t have to continue down this path,” Dr. Murthy said. “It requires collective national commitment to change.”
Dr. Jeffrey Swanson, whose research is cited in the report, was instrumental in developing “red flag laws,” allowing courts to temporarily prevent those in crisis from accessing guns. These laws are now in place in 21 states and the District of Columbia.
“Guns have become a cultural battleground, a highly divisive issue,” Dr. Swanson told the BBC. “But starting with common ground is an important step.”
Dr. Swanson, a sociologist and psychiatry professor at Duke University, emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions and conducting informed research to create evidence-based policies. He points to public health successes like seatbelt use and anti-smoking campaigns as precedents. “People now instinctively wear seatbelts because our culture has changed,” he noted.
Despite endorsement from ten leading national medical associations, the report faced immediate backlash from conservatives. The National Rifle Association, the prominent gun lobby, criticized it on social media as “an extension of the Biden Administration’s war on law-abiding gun owners.”
