Surgeon General: Declaring Gun Violence a Public Health Crisis ‘Elevates It on the Priority Scale’

BERMAN You lay out ░░░░░░░░ and you say we ░░░░░░░░ take action In and ░░░░░░░░ itself what does this ░░░░░░░░ change MURTHY So it ░░░░░░░░ a few things Number ░░░░░░░░ when the office of ░░░░░░░░ surgeon general declares an ░░░░░░░░ to be a public ░░░░░░░░ issue not only does ░░░░░░░░ put it squarely in ░░░░░░░░ realm of public health ░░░░░░░░ it also it elevates ░░░░░░░░ on the priority scale ░░░░░░░░ is what we saw ░░░░░░░░ half a century ago ░░░░░░░░ tobacco When the first ░░░░░░░░ general report was issued ░░░░░░░░ that subject it catalyzed ░░░░░░░░ series of actions in ░░░░░░░░ in schools in lawmaking ░░░░░░░░ all around the country ░░░░░░░░ ultimately helped us reduce ░░░░░░░░ rates from 42 in ░░░░░░░░ to less than 12 ░░░░░░░░ So it prioritizes the ░░░░░░░░ But the other two ░░░░░░░░ this advisory does is ░░░░░░░░ lays out the impact ░░░░░░░░ this issue particularly on ░░░░░░░░ kids Many people may ░░░░░░░░ be aware that this ░░░░░░░░ now the leading cause ░░░░░░░░ death among kids and ░░░░░░░░ As a parent I ░░░░░░░░ feel that that should ░░░░░░░░ their prioritization of this ░░░░░░░░ as well But finally ░░░░░░░░ strategies I lay out ░░░░░░░░ us that there are ░░░░░░░░ fact solutions Many people ░░░░░░░░ ve talked to around ░░░░░░░░ country worry that this ░░░░░░░░ be an intractable problem ░░░░░░░░ there s no way ░░░░░░░░ solve it That is ░░░░░░░░ true Thankfully we have ░░░░░░░░ series of steps we ░░░░░░░░ take as a country ░░░░░░░░ address it My hope ░░░░░░░░ that this advisory will ░░░░░░░░ increase the urgency of ░░░░░░░░ doing so BERMAN You ░░░░░░░░ t look a day ░░░░░░░░ but I m old ░░░░░░░░ to remember how when ░░░░░░░░ were first nominated to ░░░░░░░░ U S surgeon general ░░░░░░░░ the Obama Administration the ░░░░░░░░ process was anything but ░░░░░░░░ It was hard It ░░░░░░░░ a while and there ░░░░░░░░ opposition to you based ░░░░░░░░ what you had said ░░░░░░░░ gun safety and gun ░░░░░░░░ so you know politically ░░░░░░░░ challenging this is So ░░░░░░░░ reflect to me on ░░░░░░░░ this battle that you ░░░░░░░░ been waging for well ░░░░░░░░ a minute here I ░░░░░░░░ for decades now MURTHY ░░░░░░░░ you know I certainly ░░░░░░░░ that the issue of ░░░░░░░░ violence has been politicized ░░░░░░░░ polarized over the years ░░░░░░░░ my hope is this ░░░░░░░░ is that we can ░░░░░░░░ take it out of ░░░░░░░░ realm of politics and ░░░░░░░░ it into the realm ░░░░░░░░ public health which is ░░░░░░░░ it belongs I also ░░░░░░░░ John that our country ░░░░░░░░ in a different place ░░░░░░░░ it was 10 years ░░░░░░░░ We ve experienced so ░░░░░░░░ mass shootings so many ░░░░░░░░ of gun violence in ░░░░░░░░ neighborhoods and communities that ░░░░░░░░ has really pervaded the ░░░░░░░░ of our country It ░░░░░░░░ induced fear in people ░░░░░░░░ regular day to day ░░░░░░░░ Going to the grocery ░░░░░░░░ going to school going ░░░░░░░░ work I hear about ░░░░░░░░ all the time when ░░░░░░░░ travel and talk to ░░░░░░░░ But finally I ll ░░░░░░░░ you why I m ░░░░░░░░ John it s because ░░░░░░░░ the last few years ░░░░░░░░ ve seen some signs ░░░░░░░░ progress Five to six ░░░░░░░░ ago for the first ░░░░░░░░ Congress allocated some modest ░░░░░░░░ for gun violence research ░░░░░░░░ the first time in ░░░░░░░░ decades Two years ago ░░░░░░░░ passed the bipartisan Safer ░░░░░░░░ Act the first federal ░░░░░░░░ in 30 years to ░░░░░░░░ address gun violence These ░░░░░░░░ important first steps They ░░░░░░░░ t be our last ░░░░░░░░ though There s more ░░░░░░░░ we can do And ░░░░░░░░ strategies that I lay ░░░░░░░░ for Congress to consider ░░░░░░░░ ones that I think ░░░░░░░░ help us ultimately address ░░░░░░░░ deaths and the mental ░░░░░░░░ toll of gun violence ░░░░░░░░ It is a landmark ░░░░░░░░ on something you had ░░░░░░░░ focused on for a ░░░░░░░░ long time U S ░░░░░░░░ General Dr Vivek Murthy ░░░░░░░░ you so much for ░░░░░░░░ with us MURTHY Thanks ░░░░░░░░ much, John.”