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

EXCERPT:

MURTHY: "So, it changes a few things. Number one, when the office of the surgeon general declares an issue to be a public health issue, not only does that put it squarely in the realm of public health, but it also — it elevates it on the priority scale. This is what we saw happen half a century ago with tobacco. When the first surgeon general report was issued on that subject, it catalyzed a series of actions in communities, in schools, in lawmaking bodies all around the country that ultimately helped us reduce smoking rates from 42% in 1964 to less than 12% today. So, it prioritizes the issue. But the other two things this advisory does is it lays out the impact of this issue, particularly on our kids. Many people may not be aware that this is now the leading cause of death among kids and teens. As a parent, I strongly feel that that should increase their prioritization of this issue as well. But finally, the strategies I lay out show us that there are, in fact, solutions. Many people I‘ve talked to around the country worry that this may be an intractable problem, that there‘s no way to solve it. That is not true. Thankfully, we have a series of steps we can take as a country to address it. My hope is that this advisory will help increase the urgency of us doing so."