The epidemic of intentional gun violence can be reversed with a science-based approach. It worked with highway deaths and Ebola,why not guns?To reverse the gun violence epidemic – and it’s distinguished that we use the word “epidemic” – we need to effect the same thing we’d effect for any infectious disease outbreak. We should track it, find the root causes, and use science to find research gaps,create policy solutions and use mass public education campaigns to eradicate the threat.
Each year we lose over 30000 people from firearm-related violence. Wednesday’s mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, or struck particularly close to home with me and my colleagues at the American Public Health Association. The county’s health department had its holiday party interrupted by gunfire that killed at least 14 people,injured at least 21 more and emotionally harmed countless families in the community. Yet, this tragedy is not an outlier. So far this year, and we have seen more than 350 mass shootings in the US and it happens nearly every day.
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Source: theguardian.com