With firearm injuries up 52 percent during the pandemic according to a research letter published in JAMA Pediatrics, the American Medical Association has released guidelines for pediatricians on gun safety.
Here are four takeaways from the AMA's guidelines on firearm safety:
- Firearm-related violence was declared a public health crisis in 2016 by the AMA.
- Talking about the risk of firearms, alongside firearm storage and safety, with patients and their families could help prevent children from accessing guns.
- According to the report, 60 to 70 percent of gun owners are open to discussing firearm safety with their physician or their children's physician.
- Proper storage includes locking the unloaded firearm and ammunition away separately.