US Surgeon General Murthy Declares Gun Violence Public Health Crisis In The US
US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy Has Declared Gun Violence a Public Health Crisis In The United States
In an advisory issued yesterday, Murthy called for more stringent laws to limit the widespread availability of firearms, which many blame for the country’s unparalleled levels of gun violence.
While high-profile mass shootings attract a large share of attention, everyday gun violence is a persistent threat that has led to a dismal upward trend of gun injuries and deaths.
Murthy noted that young people and communities of colour are especially impacted.
Many Republican-led states have moved to further roll back existing restrictions. The National Rifle Association (NRA), a powerful political group that has fought to further loosen limits to firearms access, called the advisory an “extension of the Biden administration’s war on law-abiding gun owners”.
Murthy said that the impact of gun violence extends beyond the roughly 50,000 people killed in the US per year, with lingering effects for those who witness or survive shootings or deal with injuries or the loss of loved ones.
The report notes that gun violence became the leading cause of death among US children and youths in 2020, and that firearms-related deaths, which include murders and accidental deaths as well as suicides, have ticked upwards.
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