Surgeon general declares firearm violence a public health crisis in landmark announcement
In a landmark announcement, the U.S. surgeon general declared firearm violence a public health crisis in the nation Tuesday.
In a landmark announcement, the U.S. surgeon general declared firearm violence a public health crisis in the nation Tuesday.
Dr. Vivek Murthy warned in the advisory that gun violence poses a “serious threat to the health and well-being of our country” that has not just a serious physical toll, but also a mental one.
It is the first time the government's leading public health body has homed in on guns.
“As a doctor, I’ve seen the consequences of firearm violence up close in the lives of the patients I’ve cared for over the years. These are moms and dads, sons and daughters, all of whom were robbed of their physical and mental health by senseless acts of violence," Murthy said in a video Tuesday.
The rate of firearm-related deaths reached a nearly a three-decade high in 2021 — driven by spikes in gun homicides and firearm suicides, according to the 40-page advisory.
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