How the public health approach can solve gun violence | Megan Ranney | TEDxProvidence

Summary

The speaker, a healthcare professional, recounts a life-changing experience treating a young man with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, which led to a quest for understanding and addressing gun violence as a public health epidemic. She dispels common myths and emphasizes the need for a public health approach to gun violence, highlighting the importance of data and research in finding solutions. The speaker shares examples of how this approach has successfully reduced other public health crises like car crashes and HIV/AIDS. She calls for collective action, urging the audience to learn the facts, share personal stories, and join the movement to treat gun violence as a public health issue, with the ultimate goal of creating a safer future for all.

Takeaways

• 🚑 The speaker's experience with a young man's suicide by gunshot led to a deep reflection on gun violence and its prevention.
• 🔍 The physician began asking hard questions about gun access and the prevalence of gun-related suicides, seeking to understand and address the issue.
• 📉 Despite common misconceptions, gun violence is considered a public health epidemic due to increasing numbers, not just a criminal or mental health issue.
• 🏥 As healthcare professionals, the speaker and colleagues have numerous stories of gun violence victims, emphasizing the need for systemic change.
• 📈 Gun death rates are rising, with the majority of incidents not involving mass shootings but rather suicides and everyday violence.
• 🔫 The presence of approximately 330 million guns in the U.S. indicates that most guns are not used to cause harm, suggesting a need for focused solutions rather than generalized blame.
• 🤝 Collaboration between gun owners and non-owners is crucial for developing effective solutions to gun violence.
• 📊 A four-step public health approach (counting, identifying risk factors, creating solutions, and spreading them) has been successful in addressing other epidemics like car crashes and HIV/AIDS.
• 🚫 The Dickey amendment effectively halted federal funding for gun violence research, which has contributed to the lack of progress in addressing the issue.
• 💡 The public health approach can lead to innovative solutions such as promoting safe storage and training healthcare professionals to identify at-risk patients.
• 📖 The speaker calls for education, sharing of personal stories, and collective action to move beyond the gun control debate and towards a narrative of prevention.

Q & A

What was the turning point for the speaker that led them to question gun violence?

The turning point was when the speaker treated a young man with a self-inflicted gunshot wound who died despite their best efforts. The incident prompted the speaker to start asking hard questions about gun accessibility and the impact on public health.

According to the speaker, what percentage of gun-related deaths are due to suicides?

The speaker states that two-thirds of gun-related deaths in the United States are suicides.

Why does the speaker argue that gun violence should be treated as a public health epidemic?

The speaker argues that gun violence should be treated as a public health epidemic because the numbers of gun-related deaths are increasing each year, similar to other public health crises, and it requires a comprehensive, data-driven approach to address effectively.

What is the role of mental health in the overall gun violence epidemic according to the speaker?

While mental health is a factor in suicides, which make up a significant portion of gun deaths, the speaker emphasizes that mental health plays a miniscule role in the overall epidemic of gun violence.

What is the impact of the Dickey amendment on gun violence research?

The Dickey amendment effectively halted federal funding for research into gun violence using a public health approach, which has contributed to a lack of progress in understanding and addressing the issue.

What are the four steps of the public health approach to solving epidemics?

The four steps are: 1) Counting how many people are dying or getting hurt, 2) Identifying what puts them at risk and why, 3) Creating solutions that work, and 4) Spreading those solutions into communities across the country.

How has the approach to car crashes and HIV/AIDS been similar to what the speaker proposes for gun violence?

Both car crashes and HIV/AIDS were addressed using the four-step public health approach, which includes counting the affected, identifying risks, creating effective solutions, and disseminating those solutions widely. This approach led to significant reductions in deaths from these causes.

What is the current federal funding situation for gun violence research?

The federal funding for gun violence research is less than 2% of what would be predicted based on the number of people who die each year from gun violence.

What are the three actions the speaker asks the audience to take?

The speaker asks the audience to 1) Learn and share facts about gun violence, 2) Share their stories to bring the issue into the light, and 3) Join the movement to treat gun violence as a public health problem.

Why does the speaker believe that the public health approach can lead to change?

The speaker believes that the public health approach can lead to change by creating real solutions based on facts, stories, and evidence, moving beyond the gun control versus gun rights debate, and focusing on prevention.

What is the significance of the speaker's mention of Dr. Christopher Bar Soddy?

Dr. Christopher Bar Soddy is significant because he is a gun owner, a 4H rifle safety instructor, and the founding CEO of a firm that is dedicated to solving gun violence through a public health approach. His role demonstrates that it is possible to approach the issue from a balanced perspective that respects gun ownership while seeking solutions to gun violence.

Outlines

00:00

🔫 The Impact of Gun Violence on a Healthcare Professional

The speaker, a medical professional, recounts a pivotal moment in their career involving a young man with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. This tragic case prompted a series of questions about gun accessibility and the role of healthcare professionals in addressing gun violence. The speaker emphasizes the need to debunk myths and to approach gun violence as a public health epidemic, with a focus on prevention and change. The paragraph also highlights the significant number of suicides and the impact of gun violence across urban and rural areas, affecting various demographics.

05:02

📈 A Public Health Approach to Epidemics: Success Stories

The speaker outlines a four-step public health approach to addressing epidemics, which includes counting the affected, identifying risks, creating solutions, and spreading these solutions. This approach has been successful in reducing car crash and HIV/AIDS death rates. The speaker contrasts this with the increasing trend of gun deaths, which has been exacerbated by a lack of federal funding for research since the Dickey amendment. The speaker calls for a similar public health approach to gun violence, emphasizing the potential for change and the importance of moving beyond the gun control vs. gun rights debate.

10:02

🤝 A Call to Action: Creating a Movement for Change

The speaker concludes with a call to action, urging the audience to learn and share facts about gun violence, to share personal stories, and to join the movement for change. The speaker highlights the need for unity and real solutions based on facts, stories, and evidence. They express hope for a future where gun violence is treated as a public health issue, with the potential to save lives and create a safer environment for children and communities.

Keywords

💡Gun Violence

Gun violence refers to the use of firearms to inflict harm on others or oneself. In the video, it is a central theme, with the speaker emphasizing its impact on individuals and society. The video discusses gun violence as a public health epidemic, highlighting its prevalence and the need for comprehensive solutions.

💡Public Health Epidemic

A public health epidemic is a widespread health problem that affects a large number of people in a community or population. The video defines gun violence as such an epidemic due to the increasing numbers of deaths and injuries each year. The speaker argues that treating it as a public health issue allows for a more systematic and scientific approach to addressing the problem.

💡Trauma Room

A trauma room is a specialized area in a hospital where patients with severe injuries, such as gunshot wounds, are treated. The video begins with the speaker recounting a traumatic experience in a trauma room, which serves as a catalyst for their quest to understand and address gun violence.

💡Suicide

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. The video states that two-thirds of gun deaths in the United States are suicides, making it a significant part of the gun violence epidemic. The speaker suggests that addressing mental health and access to firearms is crucial to reducing these tragic incidents.

💡Mass Shootings

Mass shootings are incidents where multiple people are shot in a single episode, often resulting in numerous fatalities. The video clarifies that while mass shootings capture public attention, they represent less than 1% of all gun-related deaths, emphasizing the broader scope of the gun violence problem.

💡Gun Ownership

Gun ownership refers to the possession of firearms by individuals. The video acknowledges the prevalence of gun ownership in the United States and the importance of not demonizing gun owners. It suggests that responsible gun ownership can coexist with efforts to reduce gun violence.

💡Prevention

Prevention in the context of the video means taking proactive measures to stop gun violence before it occurs. The speaker advocates for a shift in narrative from gun control versus gun rights to one focused on prevention, which includes safe storage and education.

💡Federal Funding

Federal funding refers to financial support provided by the national government for various programs and research. The video discusses how the Dickey amendment effectively halted federal funding for public health research on gun violence, which has contributed to a lack of progress in addressing the issue.

💡Healthcare Professionals

Healthcare professionals include doctors, nurses, and social workers who provide medical care and support. The video emphasizes the role of these professionals in both treating the victims of gun violence and in advocating for preventive measures as part of a public health approach.

💡Safe Storage

Safe storage refers to the secure and responsible keeping of firearms to prevent unauthorized access. The video suggests that working with gun shops to promote safe storage is one of the promising solutions to reduce incidents of gun violence, particularly suicides and accidents.

💡Public Health Approach

A public health approach involves using scientific and medical strategies to address a health issue on a population level. The video outlines a four-step process for public health epidemics: counting the affected, identifying risks, creating solutions, and spreading those solutions. This approach is advocated for gun violence to move beyond political debates and towards evidence-based solutions.

Highlights

The speaker's encounter with a young man who shot himself with his father's gun profoundly impacted their perspective on gun violence.

Gun violence is framed not just as a criminal or mental health issue, but as a public health epidemic with increasing numbers annually.

The reality of gun violence in the U.S. is that over a hundred people die, and over 200 are injured daily, with less than 1% being mass shootings.

Suicides account for two-thirds of gun deaths, highlighting that mental health is only a small part of the overall epidemic.

Contrary to common belief, gun death rates are not higher in urban areas alone; they are almost the same in rural areas.

The highest death rates from gun violence are found in states like Alaska, Alabama, Montana, Louisiana, and Missouri.

Almost two-thirds of gun deaths are among white men, and veterans are also at a higher risk.

There are approximately 330 million guns in circulation in the U.S., with around 40,000 deaths last year.

The speaker emphasizes that demonizing guns or gun owners will not contribute to progress in addressing gun violence.

Dr. Christopher Bar Soddy, a gun owner and emergency physician, is highlighted for his work in addressing gun violence through a public health approach.

A four-step public health approach is proposed to address gun violence: counting the dead and injured, identifying risks, creating solutions, and spreading them to communities.

Examples of successful public health approaches are given, such as the reduction in car crash and HIV/AIDS death rates.

The Dickey amendment is criticized for effectively halting federal funding for public health research on gun violence.

Federal funding for gun violence research is disproportionately low compared to the number of deaths it causes.

The need for a complex solution to gun violence is acknowledged, with the potential for change through a public health approach.

The speaker calls for a movement to approach gun violence as a public health problem, moving beyond the gun control versus gun rights debate.

Three actions are requested from the audience: learn and share facts, share stories to humanize the issue, and join in taking action to address gun violence.

The potential to save lives, including those of the speaker's children and the audience's loved ones, is emphasized as a reason for collective action.

Transcripts

[Music]

early in my career I took care of a

young man who changed my life I got a

call on a warm summer evening over the

radio that EMS was coming in with a

gunshot wound I prepped the trauma room

as I usually do when the ambulance came

in the man had been shot in the head

my team did everything they could but we

were unable to save him and that was

horrible but honestly not particularly

surprising you see we don't save a lot

of gunshot wounds what was memorable to

me was how and why he died he had shot

himself with his father's gun and seeing

his dad at the bedside

that was something I will never forget

that case led me to start asking a bunch

of hard questions how did this boy get

ahold of his dad's gun could we have

changed that and saved his life why

didn't I know that people kill

themselves with guns

how many do that each year and if this

death was preventable how about all the

other gun shots that come through my ER

what are we as healthcare professionals

doing about this now I like every other

physician nurse and social worker across

this country have hundreds of stories of

people we've cared for with gunshot

wounds

kids killed in tragic mistakes young men

caught in the crossfire and people that

are my own colleagues like dr. Tamra

O'Neal an emergency physician who was

shot and killed by her fiance as she was

leaving her work in the ER last fall now

stories matter because they are

memorable because they motivate us but

stories alone are not enough they matter

when they're used to create change to

drive us towards truth and that young

man he drove me to realize that much of

what I thought I knew about gun violence

was actually a myth and he taught me to

strive to do better we as a country have

spent far too long

failing to make progress on gun violence

depending on your perspective you might

think of this as being an issue of

criminals or laws or mental health but

the truth is

although that's what the common

discussion focuses on gun violence is

none of those what it really is is a

public health epidemic now what makes it

an epidemic according to the CDC it's

very clear it's an epidemic because the

numbers are increasing each year now I'm

a mom of two and I'll be honest every

morning when I put my kids on that bus I

say a little prayer that today will not

be the day that a gun man comes to their

school we all live in fear of mass

shootings and that's what most of us

think of about epidemics but in reality

over a hundred people die and over 200

are injured every day across this

country due to gun shots and less than

1% of those are mass shootings 2/3 of

those deaths are suicides and although

mental health is obviously part of

suicide the truth is that mental health

plays a miniscule role in our overall

epidemic another thing that may surprise

you about this epidemic you might think

of it as an urban problem but the truth

is gun death rates are almost the same

in urban and rural areas in fact the

highest death rates are in states like

Alaska Alabama Montana

Louisiana and Missouri another thing

about this epidemic young minority men

are disproportionately affected by gun

violence but the fact is almost

two-thirds of gun deaths in our country

are actually white men and veterans are

at higher risk as well this epidemic is

everywhere chances are that almost all

of you in the audience know someone who

has been affected and here's a really

important fact there are approximately

330 million guns in circulation in the

United States there were around 40,000

deaths last year now that is 40,000

deaths too many but if you do some

really simple arithmetic you'll see that

that means that almost all of the guns

out there are not used to cause harm and

when we demonize guns or gun owners we

will not make progress here's a story

this is a colleague and friend of mine

dr. Christopher bar Soddy he's an

emergency physician like me

he's also a gun owner and a 4h rifle

safety instructor he views gun ownership

as a heritage in honor and a personal

responsibility he is also the founding

CEO of a firm research the country's

only nonprofit dedicated to solving gun

violence through the public health

approach he and I work together not as

gun owners are non gun owners but as

people committed to finding truth and to

putting real solutions in place that can

make a difference for our communities

across this country and when we take

this public health approach when we

approach gun violence as an epidemic we

can then create real solutions based on

real facts now I took care of that young

man in my er just after finishing many

years of training as a medical doctor

public health professional and

researcher I will not bore you with all

the epidemiology and biostatistics say

that there is a four step approach that

we have used over and over across

history to solve public health epidemics

first we count how many people are dying

or getting hurt then we say what puts

them at risk and why then we create

solutions that work and finally we

spread those solutions into communities

across the country when we take this

approach we succeed and I'm going to

share stories of three epidemics here

car crashes hiv/aids and gun violence so

on this graph you'll see the yellow line

is car crashes car crash deaths peaked

in the late 1960s we have now decreased

car crash death rates by approximately

70 percent not by taking cars off the

road right there's actually more cars

more millions of miles driven than ever

before what we did was we used that

four-step public health approach we

discovered things like 3-point seatbelts

keep you safer than a lap belt we

created car seats and got parents to use

them we educated people about drunk

driving

another example is hiv/aids the redline

now ously we discovered HIV in the 80s

and that's quickly peaked we've since

decreased the death rate by almost 90%

again not by banning sex we know that

that doesn't work

instead we use science we discovered the

virus created drugs educated people

about safe sex and we reduce stigma to

allow people to create opportunity and

hope for change now compare that to

firearms that orange line you all

already know gun death rates are going

up and they've been going up inexorably

since the early 2000s why well not

surprisingly that's about the point when

the so called Dickey amendment was

passed which effectively shut down

federal funding for this public health

approach to firearm injury on this graph

the gray line shows that for most

diseases and injuries the amount of

federal funding is basically

proportional to the number of people who

die but gun violence falls off the curve

overall federal funding for gun violence

research is less than 2% of what would

be predicted based on the number of

people who die each year now imagine if

I told you that we've done virtually no

research on cancer or heart disease or

even car crashes since 1996 you'd be

horrified and then you wouldn't be

surprised if I told you that death rates

were going up well same thing for gun

violence now I'm not naive and if you'll

excuse the pun I know there's no magic

bullet to fix this gun violence like any

other disease or injury is complex and

will require complex solutions but using

that four-step Public Health approach

will work and it will allow us to take

into consideration our unique American

context now when we take this public

health approach we create the

possibility for change I have spent the

last 10 years since I took care of that

young man working with folks across this

country first doctors and nurses now the

general public to create a movement for

change for approaching this as a public

health problem when we do that we create

a potential to move beyond the old gun

control versus gun rights debate and

towards a new narrative of prevention a

place where we can put in place

promising solutions like working with

gun shops to promote safe storage or

training healthcare professionals to

help their patients at risk

or talking about drunk shooting which

really is a thing if we had had this

approach in place ten years ago I might

have saved that young man from ever

coming into my emergency department

could have saved the lives of those kids

at Sandy Hook and parkland and the lives

of the hundred people who died and 200

who were injured yesterday and 100 more

who will die and the 200 more who will

be injured tomorrow but I can't do this

alone

I can my network can't do this alone it

takes all of us and so I asked us to do

three things first learn and share the

facts things like what I said today

two-thirds of gun deaths in this country

are suicide there are modifiable risk

factors and the public health approach

works ii share your stories join me and

my colleagues in bringing this epidemic

out of the shadows and into the light

where we have to talk about it and find

real change feel free to contact me

third join us in taking action join us

in this movement for talking about and

changing gun violence as a public health

problem when we do that we can create

unity we can create real solutions based

on facts stories and evidence and we can

create hope for my kids and for yours

thank you

[Applause]