Surgeon general advisory calls for a ‘collective commitment’ to combat gun violence

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Tuesday said gun violence in America is a public health crisis that is claiming young people at alarming rates and has far-reaching consequences on the mental health of survivors.

Dr. Murthy’s 40-page advisory is the first of its kind to call attention to the far-reaching impacts of gun violence on communities. It calls for the “collective commitment” of the nation to turn the tide by banning high-powered firearms, being smarter about who can carry guns and imposing product safety requirements on firearms.

The advisory says more than 48,200 people died from guns in 2022 alone, including suicides, homicides and accidental deaths. The toll on young people is also rising.

“Since 2020, firearm‑related injury has been the leading cause of death for U.S. children and adolescents (ages 1-19), surpassing motor vehicle crashes, cancer, and drug overdose and poisoning,” the advisory says.

Dr. Murthy pointed to a survey that found that 51% of 14- to 17‑year‑olds worry about school shootings and about 6 in 10 say they “have recently thought about what would happen if a person with a gun entered” their school.

The report also delved into the reverberating effects of gun violence. Siblings of children and adolescents who died from firearms showed a 2.3‑fold increase in psychiatric disorders while mothers showed a 3.6‑fold increase and fathers exhibited a 5.3‑fold increase, the advisory says.

President Biden is making gun control a cornerstone of his reelection campaign, pointing to the scourge of mass shootings and betting the issue will win over voters he desperately needs to win in November. He has called for a ban on powerful military-style weapons and stiffer background checks. He has pointed to efforts to ban untraceable “ghost” guns and increase mental health resources at schools impacted by violence.

Mr. Biden’s opponent, former President Donald Trump, is a vocal champion of Second Amendment rights and has called on gun owners to vote for him. He frequently blames Democrats for rising violence, pointing to soft-on-crime policies.

The Supreme Court recently struck down a Trump-era attempt by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to redefine “bump stocks” as machine guns, reversing one of the notable attempts by Mr. Trump to crack down on firearm violence.

In his advisory, Dr. Murthy endorsed a ban on “assault” weapons and high-capacity magazines for civilian use and said the U.S. should treat firearms like other consumer products. For instance, the Food and Drug Administration reviews prescription drugs and the Environmental Protection Agency regulates pesticides.

“There are no federal standards or regulations regarding the safety of firearms produced in the U.S. Therefore, firearms manufactured and sold in the U.S. may not undergo safety testing or include safety features like warning labels related to associated risk or authorized‑use technology (‘smart’ firearm technology) for firearm access,” the advisory says. “Treating firearms as a consumer product could result in changes which may enhance safety.”

Surgeons general issue advisories to draw public attention to health risks and compel action. Previous advisories from Dr. Murthy focused on protecting the mental health of young people, confronting health misinformation and the impacts of social media on young people.

Earlier this month, Dr. Murthy called for a label on social media platforms that warns the websites have not been proven safe for children and adolescents.

Voters of Tomorrow, a group that engages Gen-Z in politics and government, urged Capitol Hill leaders to take up the surgeon general’s gun recommendations.

“Again and again, members of our generation have been gunned down in our schools, concerts, clubs, and communities,” the organization said Tuesday. “Yet, Congress has refused to implement many critical, common-sense measures that would undoubtedly save lives. We are glad the Surgeon General has recognized gun violence as the public health crisis that it is.”

But Sen. Mike Braun, an Indiana Republican running for governor in his state, said he fears Dr. Murthy is setting the table for new gun control measures.

He promoted legislation that would “prevent the White House from using a public health emergency declaration to unconstitutionally institute gun control.”

“Tell your Senator you support my bill to stop this unconstitutional overreach,” Mr. Braun posted on X.

Dr. Murthy said the current generation should tackle gun violence with the type of urgency the U.S. showed against tobacco‑related disease and motor vehicle crashes.

“It is up to us to take on this generational challenge with the urgency and clarity the moment demands,” his advisory reads. “The safety and well‑being of our children and future generations are at stake.”