In the United States, an alarming trend has been identified: more children are dying from guns than from any other cause. A sobering fact is that firearms have surpassed even car crashes to become the leading cause of death among children. In 2020 alone, over 4,300 children and teens lost their lives to guns. Yet, despite the magnitude of this crisis, federal funding for research into pediatric firearm mortality remains disturbingly low. This troubling scenario underscores the urgent need for policy changes and increased support for gun violence prevention initiatives.
The Reality of Gun Violence and Children
Every year, only about $12 million in research awards is granted for studying pediatric firearm deaths. This averages to a mere $600 per life lost. In comparison, the funding allocated for other leading causes of childhood death, such as motor vehicle crashes and pediatric cancer, is significantly higher. This disparity in funding has serious implications for public health and safety.
Since the enactment of the Dickey Amendment in 1996, the use of federal funds to advocate or promote gun control has been prohibited, resulting in a chilling effect on firearm injury research. However, a change was made in 2020 when the budget included money specifically for this purpose. Since then, there has been a rise in all kinds of related work, with about 90 more registered clinical trials and publications related to firearm injury prevention research from 2020 to 2022.
The Role of Policy Changes
Policy changes are integral in tackling this crisis head-on. New gun safety laws have been enacted in some states, such as Michigan, where secure storage of firearms to prevent access by minors has been made mandatory. The law, Public Act 17 of 2023, requires individuals to keep unattended weapons unloaded and locked with a locking device, or stored in a locked box or container if a minor is likely to be present on the premises. This is a step in the right direction to prevent unintentional deaths involving guns.
Community Initiatives and Education
While policy changes are crucial, community initiatives and education also play an important role in mitigating this crisis. For instance, the University of New Mexico Children’s Hospital, in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Health, is giving out thousands of gun locks free of charge. This initiative aims to reduce the number of firearm-related deaths through the distribution of gun locks and the education of families about gun safety.
Similarly, following the tragic mass shooting at Oxford High School in suburban Detroit, a Michigan jury found Jennifer Crumbley guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter. This case highlighted the urgent need for safe gun storage laws. As a result, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a safe storage measure into law in April 2023, requiring gun owners with children in their homes to store their firearms securely.
The Department of Justice has released a guide to safe storage, while the White House’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention and the Department of Education have also emphasized the importance of safe storage in keeping schools safe.
Conclusion
Gun violence is a pressing public health concern that requires immediate action. The lack of adequate research funding and the need for policy changes to prevent such tragedies cannot be overemphasized. The federal funding for gun violence prevention research should be increased, and more states should follow Michigan’s lead by enacting strict gun safety laws. Moreover, community initiatives and education about gun safety should be encouraged to help reduce the number of firearm-related deaths among children.
#Urgent #Policy #Funding
