WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American College of Surgeons (ACS) commends the public health approach to reducing firearm violence outlined in the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory, “Firearm Violence: A Public Health Crisis in America,” released today.
The report from U.S Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, which is the first time a U.S. Surgeon General has called firearm violence a public health crisis, “describes strategies for firearm injury and violence prevention, with a focus on the health and well-being of children, families, and communities.” The advisory addresses the scope of firearm violence in the U.S., the collective toll of firearm violence exposure, contributing factors to firearm violence, and the public health approach to firearm injury and violence prevention.
“Firearm violence has been a public health crisis in the United States for many years now, and we are pleased to see that the Surgeon General is addressing it in this Advisory, laying out the stark statistics highlighting the scope of the problem as well as identifying some actionable solutions,” said Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, ACS Executive Director & CEO. “The American College of Surgeons has been working on this issue for decades and we stand ready to work with all stakeholders to end this epidemic of violence.”
ACS Efforts on Firearm Injury Prevention
The ACS has, for decades, embraced and fostered a public health approach to reducing firearm injury. The ACS Committee on Trauma (COT) Injury Prevention and Control Committee crafted a statement on firearm injury prevention in the early 1990s, and over the years has framed the public health approach to the problem of firearm injury. Many of the principles developed over this period are closely aligned with the Surgeon General’s Advisory.
“Surgeons are on the front lines treating victims of firearm violence and witnessing the impact death and injury from firearms has on families and communities. We see this every day in our trauma centers across the country,” said Jeffrey D. Kerby, MD, PhD, FACS, Chair of the ACS COT. “The Committee on Trauma has been a leading voice in developing and advocating for a comprehensive public health approach to this vast, multi-pronged crisis. It’s imperative that we conduct the research necessary to inform effective strategies to truly stem the tide of firearm-related violence in our nation.”
The ACS convened the Firearm Strategy Team (FAST) in 2017 to develop an effective strategy to reduce firearm injury, death, and disability. Many of the trauma surgeons who make up the FAST group are themselves avid firearm owners. The team came up with recommendations covering 13 areas, including background checks; registration; licensure; firearm education and training; safe storage practices; red flag laws; addressing mental health issues; and more research to better inform an approach going forward and to help address the root causes of violence. Many of these recommendations overlap directly with what is outlined in the Surgeon General’s Advisory.
As the crisis of firearm violence has grown, so too have our collaborative efforts to address the crisis. In September 2022, representatives from 46 organizations convened for the second Medical Summit on Firearm Injury Prevention, which led to the creation of the Healthcare Coalition for Firearm Injury Prevention (HCFIP). This coalition, led by leading medical organizations in the U.S., is engaged in ongoing work to foster a comprehensive public health approach to firearm injury prevention efforts through education, advocacy, and community-centered approaches.
“With a united voice and a collaborative effort, healthcare professionals from many different specialties have come together to propose real, workable solutions to the crisis of firearm violence,” said Eileen Bulger, MD, FACS, Medical Director of ACS Trauma Programs and Chair of the HCFIP. “We have seen a public health approach work with many other issues, one example being motor vehicle safety. We are confident that this approach can reduce the death and disability resulting from firearm injury as well.”
Part of the public health approach includes implementing firearm injury prevention strategies that are rooted in each community. An example is the ACS Improving Social Determinants to Attenuate Violence (ISAVE) workgroup, which developed four strategies to address the root causes of violence. This work begins in trauma centers but extends out into the community helping those affected by firearm violence. Additionally, the HCFIP has made community engagement programs a key part of their work with the driving idea being that clinicians who care for patients can identify those at risk of firearm injury and provide counseling to reduce those risks.
Read more about all of the ACS’ firearm injury prevention activities.
