The American public has been rocked by shootings across the nation in schools, churches, and even movie theaters. The recent highly publicized shootings have brought major attention to the issue of gun violence and gun control. The American College of Physicians, the largest medical specialty organization with over 140,000 physicians, has declared gun violence to be a public health issue. The organization is part of the seven medical groups, forming a coalition with the American Bar Association, that call for the public to decrease and treat gun violence the same way other public health issues are–with education, awareness, and policy changes.
Each year, for the past decade or so, there are around 32,00 deaths and 74,000 injuries each year related to firearms in the United States. Most of these deaths are suicides and homicides. It has been found that the homicides involving firearms in America is 20 times higher that any other developed country. A paper written by the American College of Physicians states that for every case where a person uses a gun in self-defense, there are 7 homicides, 11 attempted or completed suicides, and 4 accidental shootings. Gary Slutkin, a research professor at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health, has stated that the violent behavior associated with gun violence is very much like an epidemic disease in the way that it clusters and spreads. This means that it impacts the mental health and physical health of the people who are close to the violence and even people who hear about the violence.
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The coalition has made recommendations to combat what it believes to be a public health issue. The recommendations include enacting laws to ban the sale of guns with the capacity of killing a lot of people rapidly, having universal background checks for people purchasing guns, and mandating safety features on guns. Coalition members also believe that it should become common practice for doctors to promote gun safety and inform patients on the risk of gun use and having a gun at home. Furthermore, they wish to increase access to mental healthcare and to stop the stigma of people with mental health issues in America. The coalition also believes that other professionals, such as teachers and social workers, should be trained in violence prevention and gun safety. Last but not least, they want to provide funding for research on gun violence: how it is shaping communities and affecting citizens of the United States.
There is opposition from the National Rifle Association to the view that gun violence should be seen as a public health issue. The NRA brings up the point that the murders involving firearms have gone down almost by half since 1991, even though firearm acquisitions have risen steadily throughout the years. The organization believes that stricter gun control is not needed and may even be against the rights of the people.
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