US gun violence declared ‘urgent public health crisis’ by surgeon general, seeks controls
- The advisory is the first such major report on gun violence from a surgeon general
The US surgeon general on Tuesday issued a landmark advisory declaring gun violence a “public health crisis” and calling for wide-ranging firearm controls that have historically been quashed by stiff political opposition.
The advisory by Vivek Murthy, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, is the first such major report on gun violence from a surgeon general, whose office has limited authority but plays a significant public role in health issues.
A similar report on tobacco in the 1960s was a key first step to altering the perception of the substance’s danger, ultimately leading to new regulations and a steep decline in consumption.
“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,” Murthy said.
“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.”
The report cites government and other data that shows the United States is an extreme outlier on deaths and injuries from guns, especially for children.