In June 2024, US Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy declared firearm violence a public health crisis when he issued an advisory focused entirely on gun violence prevention for the very first time. Gun violence has become the leading cause of death among children and teens in the U.S., prompting calls for urgent action. This declaration is a major step toward addressing gun violence as a national epidemic.
Changes in social behavior often follow such public health advisories, as was the case with previously with warnings about drunk driving, wearing seat belts and practicing safe sex. Although the above video is about the advisory, not a report – the report usually comes out about two years after an advisory – we hope it can be the signal of a shift toward focusing more on prevention programs and firearm risk reduction strategies that can directly impact citizens.