Most Americans have strong feelings about gun control, whether in favor of more or less. Legislation has even been passed restricting physicians from discussing guns with patients. What is your opinion about healthcare professionals discussing safekeeping of guns in the home?
Gun ownership and regulation is a very emotional issue in the U.S. and there has been strong reaction to whether physicians and other healthcare providers should be involved in doing more to curb gun related injuries and deaths. I would like to hear some of your opinions regarding physician involvement, but first let's look at some of the gun statistics in the U.S.
More than 108,000 people are shot per year in murders, assaults, suicides, suicide attempts, unintentional shootings or by police intervention.
* More than 32,000 of them die.
* The U.S. has the most gun homicides of any developed nation. 29.7 per 100,000.
* Everyday 297 people are shot.
* 89 people die.
* 31 of them are murdered.
* 55 are suicides.
* 2 are killed unintentionally.
* 1 is killed by police.
* 1 is unknown intent.
* One in five deaths are people ages 15-29.
Over 17,000 American children and teens are injured or killed each year due to gun violence.
* 2,677 of those children die.
* Nearly 48 youth are shot per day including 7 fatalities.
* 5 are murdered and 2 are suicides.
1 in 3 homes with children have guns.
* 42% of parents with guns keep at least one unlocked.
* 25% of parents with guns keep at least loaded.
* 3 in 4 children know where firearms are kept in the home.
(Statistics; bradycampaign.org).
It has been suggested that clinicians could play a major role in reducing children's access to guns by asking if there is a gun in the home, and if so, counseling on firearm storage practices. One study showed that patients who received counseling on firearm storage were more likely to make a change in storage practice than patients who did not receive counseling. (64% vs 33%). (J Am Board Fam.Pract).
Pediatrician's offices and hospitals routinely give out infant and car seats, would it also be appropriate to distribute trigger locks and lockboxes? Firearm related injuries are a public health issue, so should there be public health initiatives regarding firearms such as there have been for reducing tobacco, toy and motor vehicle related deaths?
In a pediatric setting, though, it's not about the gun owner - it's about the kid.
Indeed.
There's always the odd news story that comes up about a kid being hailed for heroics by shooting an intruder. That's the benefit of teaching children about firearms at a young age.
Much better than a kid looking down on a firearm and wondering "what happens if I put this in my mouth and pull this trigger?"
Firearm storage plays a weird role in this case as the child would have access to the weapon, although it could still be stored in an appropriate manner.
Florida does have the law; it was discussed on PBS the other evening. I don't really get what is so threatening about being asked about guns in the home or being given info about safety concerns related to guns, but it's just so offensive to their delicate sensibilities that they actually passedalaw making it illegal.
You have to look at the whole chronology....
1. It started with an AAP policy endorsing pediatricians asking these questions.
2. Then, when some patients in Florida declined to answer, some overzealous pediatricians dismissed them from their practices. Additionally, some of these physicians were rather rabid gun control fanatics and took advantage of the AAP policy to push their own personal agenda.
3. Constituents complained to their legislators and the Florida law was the result.
4. The publicity from the Florida situation resulted in similar laws being passed in some other states.
So you see, it had nothing to do with "delicate sensibilities" and everything to do with a violation of their constitutional rights to privacy and being discriminated against for exercising those rights.
It would have been so much simpler and there would have been no problem if instead of demanding answers to firearm ownership questions, physicians would simply state to all patients that unsecured firearms in the home are a known potential hazard to children, offer them a pamphlet on how to secure firearms safely, and offer to answer any questions they might have.
Doing it this way accomplishes exactly the same goal they espouse of "educating patients about firearm safety", without invading the patient's privacy.
It would seem to me that any physician or HCW that would refuse to accept this approach and still insist on the patient answering an ownership question either has a demigod complex or some other ulterior motive.
Regardless of what they may think, physicians and other health care workers do not have any legal right to any information that the patient does not choose to share.
Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.
The militia the amendment refers to was citizens who would be available to defend the fledgling country should it be attacked by a foreign power. This was at a time when we didn't have a standing army.
I am not anti-gun. I do however object to the lack of controls which prevent weapons from getting to criminals. We all agree that criminals will not buy guns legally, but those weapons come from somewhere. They can't all be from burglaries where weapons were unsecured in the home, correct?
this has exactly nothing with the efforts we have to go to in effort to protect our livestock calf crop......this 100% grass fed calf crop is part of my retirement plan, it supplements my income, and predator (four legged)...... Challenge $1000s yearly...... Of a young calf crop..... Gormet organic beef.....comes from ranchers as me......weapons are but a part of what is involved in livestock protection, Very sophisticated gun safes as Munro eluded to are required to secure these "farm weapons" and still assessable when needed.
we are skilled and educated in their safe use, maintence, and storage....
but it back to Op thread......I do believe that gun safety is an important assessment...... I just. Don't know how one could validate the information accuracy, and what would health care provider's duty if, in trying to asses, one learns not secured weapons left openly laying around in home....with youn children in the house....it must be similar as our other responsibilities...... Vs. a mature couple, with no children EVER in home, with weapons secured........
Interesting - people get all thin in the nose over government intrusion, then pass a law mandating government intrusion in order to avoid the indignity of being personally responsible for their children's safety. Hilarious.
1. It started with an AAP policy endorsing pediatricians asking these questions.
2. Then, when some patients in Florida declined to answer, some overzealous pediatricians dismissed them from their practices. Additionally, some of these physicians were rather rabid gun control fanatics and took advantage of the AAP policy to push their own personal agenda.
3. Constituents complained to their legislators and the Florida law was the result.
4. The publicity from the Florida situation resulted in similar laws being passed in some other states.
So you see, it had nothing to do with "delicate sensibilities" and everything to do with a violation of their constitutional rights to privacy and being discriminated against for exercising those rights.
I work in the ED. Our triage screenings include questions about domestic violence, alcohol and substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and yes, weapons. I get all kinds of reactions to all of these questions, ranging from folks who just answer in a matter of fact manner, to those who seem incredulous that we would ask about any of these things.
On the one hand, it sometimes feels like we're being required to pry more and more into people's lives- people who, most of the time, come in for a sprained ankle or a toothache. People who are really sick are often unable to answer all these questions, and so I don't ask them if they're not relevant or if the person's functional capacity won't allow them to answer.
On the other hand, occasionally someone will answer a question in a way that leads to us being able to identify a need and connect the person with resources- possibly changing their life for the better, or even saving it.
heron, ASN, RN
4,647 Posts
In a pediatric setting, though, it's not about the gun owner - it's about the kid.