Firearm Injury Prevention Advocacy: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

Deanna Behrens; Maya Haasz; James Dodington; Lois K Lee

doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2022.09.002

Firearm Injury Prevention Advocacy: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

Pediatr Clin North Am. 2023 Feb;70(1):67-82. doi: 10.1016/j.pcl.2022.09.002.

Authors

Deanna Behrens¹, Maya Haasz², James Dodington³, Lois K Lee⁴

Affiliations

¹ Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Department of Pediatrics, Advocate Children's Hospital, 1675 Dempster Street, Park Ridge, IL 60068, USA. Electronic address: deanna.behrens@aah.org.
² Section of Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 East 16th Avenue, Box 251, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
³ Section of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, 100 York Street, Suite 1F, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
⁴ Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

PMID: 36402472
DOI: 10.1016/j.pcl.2022.09.002

Abstract

Injuries and deaths due to firearms in children and young adults is a public health crisis in the United States. Pediatric clinicians are powerful advocates to reduce harm due to firearms. By forming coalitions with legislators on a bipartisan basis, working with government relations teams in the hospitals, and partnering with community allies and stakeholders, pediatric clinicians can work to enact legislation and influence policies at the individual, state, and national levels. This can include advocacy for strengthening Child Access Prevention Laws and firearm safer storage campaigns.

Keywords: Firearm; Harm reduction; Injury prevention; Legislative advocacy.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Child
Family
Firearms*
Humans
Public Health
Sexual Partners
United States
Wounds, Gunshot* / prevention & control
Young Adult