Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory Tuesday declaring gun violence a public health crisis, highlighting the sharp increase in gun-related deaths across the country, especially among children and adolescents.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared firearms violence a public health crisis on Tuesday.
According to the Surgeon General’s advisory on gun violence—the first of its kind—gun violence has been the leading cause of death among Americans aged between 1 and 19 since 2020—exceeding vehicle accidents, poisoning (both drug and non-drug-related) and cancer.
Citing a nationally representative survey, the report said 54% of U.S. adults or their family members have experienced a “firearm‑related incident”—including 19% who have lost a family member to gun violence.
In a video announcement, Murthy said the advisory outlines approaches that can be taken to address the issue—including community violence prevention programs, better mental health care for people exposed to or at risk for gun violence and additional research on prevention strategies.
Murthy mentioned the “collective trauma and fear” caused by the crisis, pointing to survey data that shows nearly 6 in 10 U.S. adults saying they worry about a loved one being a victim of gun violence “sometimes,” “almost every day,” or “every day.”
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“Firearm violence is a public health crisis. Our failure to address it is a moral crisis. To protect the health and well-being of Americans, especially our children, we must now act with the clarity, courage and urgency that this moment demands,” Murthy said.
48,204. That is the number of firearm-related deaths reported in the U.S. in 2022, the advisory says citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Compared to 2019 data, this number is more than 8,000 higher. According to the Gun Violence Archive, at least 8,046 people have been killed by firearms since the start of this year.
This is a developing story.