On June 25, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a groundbreaking advisory, declaring gun violence an “urgent public health crisis.”
This declaration comes as the nation grapples with increasing firearm-related deaths and their devastating impact on communities, particularly children and adolescents.
In a press release accompanying the advisory, Dr. Murthy highlighted the grim reality: gun violence has now become the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the United States. This advisory marks a significant milestone, as it is the first publication from the Office of the Surgeon General specifically dedicated to addressing firearm violence and its far-reaching consequences on public health.
The statistics presented in the 35-page advisory are staggering. In 2022 alone, 48,204 people died from gun-related injuries, including suicides, homicides, and accidental deaths. This number reflects a troubling increase, with 8,000 more lives lost compared to 2019 and a shocking 16,000 more than in 2010.
Dr. Murthy’s advisory also underscores the widespread impact of gun violence on American families. A nationally representative survey revealed that a majority of U.S. adults, or their family members (54%), have experienced a firearm-related incident. Furthermore, nearly 6 in 10 U.S. adults express frequent worry about a loved one becoming a victim of gun violence.
The advisory sheds light on the profound anxiety among the younger population as well. Half of U.S. teenagers aged 14 to 17 are concerned about school shootings, with nearly 60% admitting they have recently contemplated what they would do if an armed person entered their school or a nearby school.
Data from the Gun Violence Archive illustrates the increasing frequency of mass shootings, with the U.S. experiencing over 600 such incidents annually between 2020 and 2023. This is a sharp rise from the less than 400 annual mass shootings recorded between 2015 and 2018.
In 2022, firearms were involved in the majority of homicides (79%) and suicides (55%) in the country. Comparatively, in 2015, the U.S. firearm-related death rate was 11.4 times higher than that of 28 other high-income nations, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The advisory also highlights significant disparities in firearm violence across different population groups. In 2022, Black individuals faced the highest age-adjusted firearm homicide rates (27.0 per 100,000) compared to 6.2 per 100,000 for all races and ethnicities.
“Firearm violence is an urgent public health crisis that has led to loss of life, unimaginable pain, and profound grief for far too many Americans,” Dr. Murthy stated. He emphasized the need for a collective effort to address this crisis, urging that “we don’t have to continue down this path, and we don’t have to subject our children to the ongoing horror of firearm violence in America.”
Dr. Murthy’s advisory calls for a national commitment to combat gun violence, advocating for policies and interventions that can protect American lives and restore a sense of safety and peace in communities.
The Surgeon General’s declaration is a clear call to policymakers, healthcare professionals, and citizens alike to unite in the fight against this public health crisis.