Physicians Asked to Help Curb Children's Access to Guns

[SecularMotion]

CHICAGO — Physicians must do more to help reduce the rate of gun-related injuries and deaths, according to an impassioned panel of experts discussing gun violence and the impact on children here at the American Public Health Association (APHA) 2015 Annual Meeting.

"One in five deaths in young people ages 15 to 29 are from firearms — a stunning number," said panel member Eric Fleegler, MD, MPH, a pediatric emergency medicine physician from Boston Children's Hospital.

"If these were deaths due to cancer, we would find this outrageous," he pointed out.

On average, every day in the United States there are 31 homicides, 55 suicides, and two unintentional shooting deaths that involve guns, and children and teenagers are often the ones who are shot, according to statistics published on the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence website.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/854866

[riversedge]

1. some states do not allow these questions by law...

yes, politicians have passed these laws. I do not know if your story discusses any of this as I am not registered


a quick google search Of

......laws that prevent physicians from asking if guns in the house............

About 69,600,000 results (0.43 seconds)
Search Results

Court upholds Florida law restricting doctor-patient speech ...

[SecularMotion]

2. I can see the full article from a Google link

Try the link on this page

https://www.google.com/search?q=Physicians+Asked+to+Help+Curb+Children%27s+Access+to+Guns&gws_rd=ssl

The law in Florida is being challenged again. Follow the google link to access the article

https://www.google.com/search?q=American+Bar+Association+Challenges+FloridCourt+upholds+Florida+law+restricting+doctor-patient+speech+a+%27Gun-Gag%27+Ruling&gws_rd=ssl

[riversedge]

3. yes, i can open the florida from google

but not medscape (that is fine). My point is--lawmakers have made laws that prevent medical personal from carrying out safty questions related to guns.

[riversedge]

4. As a care worker, we used to have

a form entitled 'Household safety measures"--it was a simple checklist of questions we asked about safety features in the home--such as bleach stored out of reach, railings secure, foods keep refrigerated. etc etc

Also -are there guns in the house? locked? unloaded?

It generally served as a reminder for all about safety in the home. I never had any problems with the questions. Then the law was passed and it was omitted.

I shake my head.

[Eleanors38]

5. Since childhood accidental deaths-by-guns are at record lows...

sure, "ask" away. But it appears the Project ChildSafe initiative started by the Second Amendment Foundation has been in the lead for some time.

And they didn't need to be asked. They initiated.

[Duckhunter935]

8. I am quite sure the OP is against

That project

[Eleanors38]

12. Yep. Anything that actually works doesn't fit the Narrative® of prohibitionist doctrine.

[DonP]

6. Wonder how many of these MDs visited Englewood to do research?

"Physicians must do more to help reduce the rate of gun-related injuries and deaths, according to an impassioned panel of experts..."

If they're so "impassioned" about gun deaths, their meeting was only a 15 minute cab ride from Englewood, Chatham and Pilsen where a record number of "children" from 15 to 29 were killed this year by guns. I'm sure their collective passion and insight could have saved some of the children there or at least tried to save some.

Probably not, their research seems to be more theoretical than practical. Besides they might get their ass shot off out there in the real world. Much better to approach it from the safe space of a hotel conference room with coffee and ice water available.

[Duckhunter935]

9. 29 year old child?

[branford]

7. The age range is ridiculous, and intentionally deceptive.

How can an article discussing pediatricians and advice like car seats involve purported "children" as old as 29!!!

The gun deaths are undoubtedly skewed MUCH higher with the actual ADULTS ages 18-29, and the reasons are far different than for actual children, no less truly young children, largely due to intentional crime or suicide rather than accidents related to matters like safe storage.

However, such deception is sadly to be expected when these physicians explicitly and quite knowingly rely on the Brady Campaign for their statistics. Such blatant activism is also the reason why Congress attached strict rules on CDC funding to ensure money is spent on actual scholarship, rather than simply provide subsidy to gun control organizations, and also why some states have implemented rules concerning physician speech with their patients concerning firearms.

[Duckhunter935]

10. SM will be right along

To explain how a 29 year old is a child,

[Duckhunter935]

11. 29 is now a child?

WTF

[Eleanors38]

13. I'm feeling like the whole city of St. Augustine already!

[ileus]

14. impassioned panel of experts...

I bet they're experts at "guns kill people"

[beevul]

15. Education education education.

Not that so called 'gun violence prevention' folks are interested in it as an avenue of reducing gun deaths.

They prefer to focus on the gun.