Calls for Immediate Action to Allow CDC-Funded Research into Gun Injuries and Deaths
Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin has joined a multistate coalition urging Congress to immediately fund research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) into the causes and prevention of gun related injuries and death.
In 1996, Congress included a provision in the annual appropriations bill prohibiting the use of any CDC funds "to advocate or promote gun control." In an effort led by attorneys general in 14 states, the group sent a letter today calling for Congress not only to eliminate the annual rider that blocks gun research efforts, but also to direct funding for the CDC to study the causes of gun violence. The goal is to help determine the most effective prevention strategies.
As the attorneys general wrote in the letter, "As the chief law enforcement officer of our respective states, we are charged with keeping our communities safe, and we need better evidence-based strategies to combat the epidemic of gun violence that is ravaging our families and communities."
Kilmartin added, "We see the tragic results of gun violence all too often. This is more than a public safety issue; this is a public health issue, and understanding more about the root cause of gun-related injuries and gun violence will help us know how better to address the issue and more effectively target our limited resources. Just as the CDC is studying the public health crisis of opioid abuse and addiction in this country, I firmly believe it is worth the investment and resources to study gun violence, its underlying cause, and the short and long-term effects on our citizens."
Analyses of prevention measures, such as counseling by healthcare providers, and scientific research into the root cause and psychology of gun violence are needed to help reduce the number of gun violence victims. Unfortunately, while more than half a million Americans have died by firearms over the past twenty years, federal funding for gun violence research has been cut by 96 percent. In their letter, the attorneys general state that sidelining the CDC severely limits data collection and discourages public health professionals from working in this field.
According to the letter, more than 33,000 people die every year in the United States from gun violence. Unintentional shootings account for 600 more deaths annually. Gun violence also disproportionately affects communities of color, as African Americans are nearly twice as likely to be injured or killed by guns as white individuals.