Gun violence is a public health crisis, according to surgeon general

FNon-gun violence, the leading cause of death among children and teens in the U.S., is a public health crisis, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said in a Tuesday statement.

Murthy told TIME that the aforementioned statistic “increased the urgency” to address this issue, which has taken a heavy toll on American youth since 2020. Research shows that gun-related suicides — which comprise the majority of all firearms-related deaths – increased by 45% for people aged 15 to 24 and 68% for children aged 10 to 14 from 2012 to 2022, according to the advisory.

Adults have also been affected by the ongoing crisis. Over half of US adults or their family members have suffered one firearm-related incident in their lifetime, according to an April 2023 survey. It’s a problem that disproportionately affects certain demographics: Blacks have the highest age-adjusted firearm homicide rate, and American Indians and Alaska Natives under the age of 45 account for the highest rate of firearm suicide, although whites aged 45 and over have the highest rate of firearm suicide overall. Men are also six times more likely to die from gunshot injuries than women.

“We lose nearly 50,000 people every year to gun violence, but there are millions more who are affected by its reverberating impact,” says Murthy. “The role this counseling can play is to help people see and understand the full extent of the harms of gun violence and to move this issue from the realm of politics to the realm of public health.”

There have been 247 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. And the Surgeon General’s report indicates that the frequency with which these large-scale shootings occur is increasing. While mass shootings ultimately represent about 1% of all gun violence deaths, the statement said they have caused “collective trauma” on the American public. Just this weekend, dozens of people were injured after shootings in Alabama, Ohio and Arkansas. Other highly publicized shootings, including those in Monterey Park and Parkland, have undoubtedly left a lasting mark on the minds of many. In fact, nearly 6 in 10 U.S. adults say they worry “sometimes,” “almost every day” or “every day” about the possibility of a loved one being a victim of gun violence, according to the release. .

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There has been some progress on the matter. This year’s report comes two years after President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan Safer Communities Act, marking the most significant gun safety legislation passed in nearly three decades. The act established an enhanced background check process for gun buyers under 21, allocated federal funds to implement state red flag laws and launch local violence intervention programs, among other measures.

Still, the Surgeon General has made numerous other recommendations to fill gaps in gun safety laws. In addition to calls for additional investment in research into gun violence prevention through data collection, the statement also calls for the implementation of universal background checks, mandatory safety training, and/or a waiting period between purchasing and owning weapons. a firearm, assault weapons ban, and more.

Existing gaps and loopholes in local and federal gun legislation allow 45% of gun buyers online purchasing a firearm without a background check. Just 16 states and DC. require that weapons be stored locked. Of incidents where firearm storage information was known, 76 percent of guns used during unintentional gun deaths among children and teens were stored unlocked, the release states.

But Murthy argues that the bipartisan Safer Communities Act is a testament to the progress that can be made on a complex issue. It references the great strides made in reducing tobacco use after a 1964 Surgeon’s General Board on Smoking as proof of the impact that advice can have. “This report from the Surgeon General catalyzed an extraordinarily important set of steps toward changing public perceptions regarding tobacco,” says Murthy. “We have smoking rates below 12%. This is great progress that reflects many lives saved.”

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As a problem, armed violence is also interconnected with other national diseases. “One of the things I laid out in last year’s statement about loneliness and isolation is that social disconnection increases the risk of anxiety, depression and suicide, and addressing loneliness by building more social connections in our lives and in our communities is a important strategy. to help address the broader mental health crisis we are experiencing,” says Murthy. Still, this is only part of the puzzle. “It is not the only strategy being introduced. There are a lot of things we need to do, but it’s a strategy that can be helpful when it comes to gun violence.”