Is Gun Violence a Public Health Issue?

Gun violence is a public health problem, but we don’t approach it like one. The debate often gets framed as “guns or no guns” when it isn’t that black and white. In this episode we break down how and why to approach gun violence as a public health problem, what the current research has to say, and what we need to move forward.

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Credits:
Aaron Carroll -- Writer
Meredith Danko – Social Media
Tiffany Doherty -- Writer and Script Editor
John Green -- Executive Producer
Stan Muller -- Director, Producer
Mark Olsen – Art Director, Producer

[randallanderson]

I remember a Simpsons episode... An annoyed Homer goes into a gun shop. He is informed there is a 5-day waiting list for a background check. Frustrated, Homer whines, "Five days!? But I'm mad now."

[exitmult]

There is a slight error in the presentation of the first data point (at time 00:33). As presented, it sounds like there was a total of 85, 000 fire-arm related injuries 34, 000 deaths from 2009 - 2017. I.e. over the entire 8 year period. The source paper actually says "From 2009 to 2017, there was a mean of 85 694 ED visits for nonfatal firearm injury and 34 538 deaths each year." The each year part is very important. Beyond that this is a great video! Good points.

[christiand]

Weirdly enough, I was going to point out how using 2020 for car crashes isn’t accurate with a 13% reduction in driving, yet 2020 experienced about 7% more traffic fatalities despite that reduction.

[jackdischler]

Great info!
Colombia* not Columbia in your graphic using other countries to compare

[steveh]

“Between 2009 and 2017, there were 85, 000 firearm-related injuries and over 34, 000 firearm-related deaths in the United States.”
Shouldn’t that actually say, “EVERY YEAR between 2009 and 2017, there were 85, 000 firearm-related injuries and over 34, 000 firearm-related deaths in the United States.”?
Very important distinction.

[FF]

When I was a child, I remember being told that carrying a BB gun in public was not allowed because it created an "endangerment" situation. I'm not sure but there may have even been a law on the books in our town that could get you cited for an "endangerment" violation .

[WhichDoctor]

Even here in the UK guns aren’t banned. You can still buy and own shotguns and rifles for sport and hunting. You just need a license and to keep them locked in a gun cabinet when not in use

[MrGgarcia]

We also have to look at the root cause of shootings. What makes these shooters finally commit to their decision to shoot? Mental illness seems to be the consensus now. But what caused the mental illness? Was it too much medication, bullying, neglect from family? We have to probe deeper and find the problem.

[davidsixtwo]

Oof, we're not doing enough on deaths from cars & driving either, not a great comparison.

[dvklaveren]

I wish I could make a joke about an intake of bullets is not medically recommended, but...

[paxundpeace]

Only a few countries have the right of carry firearms as part of the constitution. Those are Mexico, Guatemala and the US all those countries are among those with the highest number of gun deaths and murders.

[sclair]

Honestly... Is there any point? The people this is meant to impact will not be swayed by studies. Facts are dead when it comes to legislation in the united states.

[jordanreeseyre]

Browsing GunTube over the last couple of years, I'm struck by the lack of trust among gun enthusiasts in the sincerety of authorities implementing things like red flag laws.

This divide feels like a serious issue as gun enthusiasts I asked generally perceived the risk of having their guns seized over spurious accusations as much higher than the risk of hurting themselves or others because their guns weren't seized when they ought to have been.

[malenalucero]

Guns are not cars. In most countries guns are banned, so technically that could be done. I will never understand how Americans can feel safe having a gun in their homes.

[SeanBennett]

Uhhh... there's actually been a massive spike in drivers killing others in the last few years and there's been adamant refusal to even consider regulations that would address this (vehicles mass, hood height, speeding, inattentive driving, etc.)

[katiegrobengieser]

There is an alarming increase in the number of people dying from firearm injuries in the US and we can no longer deny the growing number of shootings being committed by civilians with military-grade, high-velocity, high-lethality firearms. With minimal regulations regarding the ability to purchase said weapons in many states, it doesn’t surprise me that death from gun violence is now the number one cause of death of children in America. The ethical implications of this trend are significant, as it highlights the urgent need for policy solutions that restrict access to these types of weapons. The lack of robust data on gun violence also raises concerns about the true scope of America's gun epidemic and the need for better data to understand its impact on victims and communities. Gun violence is situated perfectly at a crossroads between a political and public health issue, with healthcare providers, politicians, and lobbyists continually sounding off from both sides. I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. Megan Ranny’s point that no other public health issue is dismissed so quickly as “not a public health issue”. When gun violence takes thousands of lives every year, many of those being children's lives, I believe it must be treated like any other life-threatening epidemic and approached from a proactive and preventative place of preservation. No other country in the developed world has this problem. The ethical principle of justice (ensuring fairness) comes to mind, especially when the most common rebuttal to talk of limiting firearms access is often “this is infringing upon my second amendment rights”. I believe that many people with this mentality have not taken the time to read some of the policies being proposed, which does not aim to ban guns but rather would significantly heighten the background checks and safety measures one would need to pass in order to legally purchase a gun, especially an automatic one.

[gwenmph]

This was amazingly well done. As someone in public health who wants to advocate for guns as well as regulate them in the same way that you describe in this video, you gave me a lot of language that I didn’t already have for it. I still have a lot to learn on the topic but I’m trying.

[gem]

Guns & Cars aren't alike tho!

Cars are vehicles that potentially CAN cause harm, Guns are weapons MADE to cause harm.

Unless you ride your firearm to work!!!

[Tanktaco]

Only 780 views? Is the algorithm burying this?

[lucasmarquesdecamargos]

For a non-american, it is fascinating to see people trying to be reasonable saying "we can have a middleground between the people that don't like any gun regulation and the people who want to ban guns!". Sorry to say that, but it seems like a weird culture of gun-fetish. So, framing it as "middleground" plain an simple feels really weird to non-americans. I agree that some people (in non-urban environments, environmental agents, security officers, etc) should be able to have them and carry them in some scenarios, so I do agree with restriction as better than absolute banning, but this restriction should go more towards one side of the argument than the hypothetical "middleground". Also this "absolute ban" seems like a straw-man argument.