National
(WDNews) – On Tuesday, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory declaring gun violence a public health crisis. He urged for an evidence-based approach to address the issue and called for a ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines for civilian use.
“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,” Murthy stated. He highlighted alarming statistics, noting that gun violence is now the leading cause of death among children and teens in the U.S.
The advisory revealed a significant rise in gun-related suicides across all age groups from 2012 to 2022, with the steepest increase among 10-14-year-olds. Additionally, more than 50% of Americans reported experiencing a firearm-related incident in their lifetime, and about 60% worry frequently about a loved one becoming a victim of gun violence.
Since 2020, firearm-related injury has been the leading cause of death for U.S. children and adolescents (ages 1-19), surpassing motor vehicle crashes, cancer, and drug overdose and poisoning.
In 2022, 48,204 total people died from firearm-related injuries, including suicides, homicides, and unintentional deaths. This is over 8,000 more lives lost than in 2019 and over 16,000 more lives lost than in 2010.
Dr. Murthy’s call to action aims to prompt public health reforms and policies to mitigate the devastating effects of gun violence on American communities.
