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U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has declared gun violence a public health crisis, noting that as of 2020, firearms are the leading cause of death for children and adolescents aged 1-19, surpassing vehicle crashes, cancer, and drug overdose.
The landmark surgeon general’s advisory is the first such move highlighting the fatal consequences of firearms, similar to its warning on cigarette smoking in the 1960s.
The advisory noted that firearm‑related deaths in the U.S. reached a near three‑decade high in 2021 and are significantly higher than other high‑income countries.
To combat the gun crisis, Murthy called for a ban on assault weapons for civilian use, implementing universal background checks and policies governing who can carry a loaded firearm in public spaces, and federally regulating the industry.
“A public health approach can guide our strategy and actions, as it has done in the past with successful efforts to address tobacco‑related disease and motor vehicle crashes,” his advisory read.
Doctors lauded the advisory. “Family physicians have long understood, and have seen first hand, the devastating impact firearm violence has on our patients and the communities we serve,” Steven Furr, president, American Academy of Family Physicians, said.
However, powerful gun lobby National Rifle Association criticized the advisory. “Joe Biden & Vivek Murthy are recycling the same tired Obama-era proposals that only restrict the rights of law-abiding Americans.”
Last week, Murthy called on Congress to take action and require a surgeon general’s health warning on social media platforms, similar to the one on cigarettes, citing the mental health crisis among young people.