The United States Surgeon General, Dr Vivek Murthy, has officially declared gun violence a public health crisis, highlighting the surge in firearm-related injuries and deaths.
Murthy’s advisory comes in the wake of another violent summer weekend in the U.S. marked by numerous mass shootings resulting in many casualties.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Murthy emphasized the need for safety in everyday life.
“People want to be able to walk through their neighborhoods and be safe,” he said. “America should be a place where all of us can go to school, go to work, go to the supermarket, go to our house of worship, without having to worry that that’s going to put our life at risk,” he said.
Murthy’s recommendations to reduce gun deaths include banning automatic rifles, implementing universal background checks for gun purchases, regulating the firearms industry, enacting laws to restrict public use of guns, and penalizing unsafe storage of firearms.
However, these measures require legislative action from Congress, which often resists gun control initiatives. Some states, however, may consider adopting these proposals independently.
Citing a poll from 2023, Murthy noted a widespread concern about gun violence, with most Americans fearing that a loved one might be harmed by a firearm. In 2022, over 48,000 Americans died due to gun injuries.
Murthy’s advisory is expected to be contentious, particularly among Republican lawmakers who have previously opposed his confirmation over his stance on gun violence.
Despite previous controversies, Murthy has previously avoided issuing an advisory on gun violence after his 2014 confirmation was nearly derailed by opposition from the firearm lobby and Republicans.
He assured the Senate he would not use his office to advocate for gun control.
Murthy was dismissed by then-President Donald Trump in 2017 but was renominated by President Joe Biden in 2021.
During his second confirmation, he stated that addressing gun violence would not be his primary focus. Nonetheless, increasing pressure from doctors and Democratic advocacy groups has led him to take a more vocal stance.
In 2022, four former surgeon generals urged the Biden administration to produce a report on gun violence.
Murthy compared the current situation to the 1964 surgeon general’s report on smoking, which significantly impacted tobacco use and industry regulations. “It is now time for us to take this issue out of the realm of politics and put it in the realm of public health, the way we did with smoking more than a half century ago,” he said.
Murthy’s advisory, titled ‘Firearm Violence: A Public Health Crisis in America’, points out the alarming rates of gun-related deaths among children and young adults in the U.S. compared to other countries.
It highlighted a significant rise in gun-related suicides among Americans under 35.
Beyond regulatory measures, Murthy calls for increased gun violence research and urges the health system to promote gun safety education during medical appointments.
