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.