The Surgeon General of the United StatesVivek H. Murthy, stated this Tuesday that the country is living a “public health crisis” over gun-related deaths and called on the nation to stop seeing it as a political issue.
In an interview with The New York TimesMurthy criticized that the issue is politicized: “When we understand that it is a public health problem, we have the opportunity to take it out of the realm of politics and put it in the realm of public health,” he noted.
In a 32-page notice, what is known as nation’s doctor ask un Increased funding for gun violence prevention research and advises health care workers to talk to patients about storing firearms during routine medical visits, among other measures.
Besides, recommends safe gun storage laws, universal background checks, ‘red flag’ laws and one ban on assault weapons. Some of these initiatives are those proposed by Joe Biden’s own government, who has tried without success to get Congress to promote stricter weapons legislation such as the ban on long weapons.
Murthy said that one of the reasons for issuing this notice to act quickly is the increase in mass shootings over the past decade, which has considerable implications for the mental health of Americans.
In fact, deaths caused by firearms increased to a three-decade high in 2021 following a rise in homicides and suicides, a year after they became the main cause of death among children and adolescents in the country.
In 2022, more than half of all firearm deaths were due to suicide.
According to the White House, the surgeon general’s mission is to “help lay the foundation for a healthier country, drawing on the best available scientific information to provide clear, consistent and equitable guidance and resources for citizens.”
