A panel at the annual meeting for the American Public Health Association (APHA) renewed the call for doctors to take “a more concentrated approach across the country” to combat accidents involving children and firearms. “Physicians are not going to solve the problem of firearm violence, but we can be a part of trying to solve it,” Dr. Eric Fleegler told Medscape Medical News.
Good, so they’re going to focus on gun safety education? Not really. There was some talk about “counseling” and giving away trigger locks, but the main recommendations were those old standbys: Harassing patients about whether they have guns, and pushing for legislation that mandates particular storage procedures. All of the proposed measures focused on keeping guns out of the hands of children, not teaching children how to actually use them safely.
