Treat gun violence like the public health crisis it is
These interventions occurred because the public recognized the threat of tobacco and was willing to adopt them. This was not always the case. During the first half of my life, smoking in public, including indoors at public events and even on airplanes, was accepted, and the “rights of smokers” were respected. This now seems inconceivable. Public health interventions work, and public perceptions and attitudes can change.
Consider inroads made in driver safety, too. We have also made marked improvements in motor vehicle crash-related deaths and injuries.4 For decades, we have recorded hundreds of data points on every car crash resulting in a death in a comprehensive database—the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). These data have been used by researchers to identify causes of crashes and crash-related deaths and have led to improvements in car design and road safety. Additional factors leading to improved road safety include restrictions on the age at which one can drive and on drinking alcohol and driving.
We can achieve similar improvements in gun-related mortality if we establish and maintain a comprehensive database, encourage and fund research, and are willing to adopt some commonsense product improvements and ownership restrictions that, nevertheless, preserve the right for most to responsibly own a firearm.
Don’t you think it’s time?
