Gun safety advocate calls for urgent action to protect children

In a recent government meeting, a pediatrician and gun owner shared a heartfelt plea for stronger gun safety measures, highlighting the alarming rise in gun-related injuries and deaths among children. Drawing from her experiences in Utah, where she initiated a safe gun storage campaign called \"Bulletproof Kids,\" she emphasized the urgent need for educational efforts and legislative action to protect children from gun violence.

The speaker recounted her motivation to act following the Sandy Hook tragedy in 2012, noting that despite extensive educational campaigns, the statistics remain grim. In 2023, children are dying from gunshots at twice the rate they were a decade ago, with an average of seven children lost each day to gun violence. She pointed out that last year alone, 2,581 children died from gunfire, with many more injured, underscoring the inadequacy of education alone in preventing these tragedies.

She called for laws mandating safe gun storage, similar to existing regulations for car seats and seatbelts, arguing that such measures are essential to safeguarding children. The pediatrician highlighted shocking statistics from Georgia, where nearly 700 children under 17 were treated for gunshot injuries in 2023, and toddlers accounted for a significant portion of unintentional shootings.

The speaker urged state officials to support initiatives aimed at addressing this public health crisis, noting that states with lax gun storage laws experience the highest rates of unintentional injuries and suicides involving firearms. She is actively involved in organizations advocating for stronger gun safety laws, emphasizing that the responsibility of protecting children must be a collective effort.