VIDEO: Regulate guns like motor vehicles, AAP says

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The AAP published a policy statement and accompanying technical report with updated recommendations to reduce the risk of firearm violence to children.

Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children and young adults in the United States, killing 28 people aged 24 years or younger each day, the AAP noted.

In addition to recommending that pediatricians provide guidance to families on storing guns safely in the home, the AAP also called for legislation that would regulate firearms on the level of motor vehicles, with requirements for training, licensing, insurance coverage and registration.

Lois K. Lee, MD, MPH, FAAP, FACEP, is a physician in the division of emergency medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital, associate professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School, and chair of the AAP’s Council on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention.

In the accompanying video from the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition, Lee comments on the academy’s new guidance, which also aims for injury prevention and harm reduction through keeping firearms out of reach and locked away.

References:

American Academy of Pediatrics: Firearms violence prevention demands a public safety approach like regulation of motor vehicles. https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/conference-news-releases/american-academy-of-pediatrics--firearms-violence-prevention-demands-a-public-safety-approach-like-regulation-of-motor-vehicles. Published Oct. 8, 2022. Accessed Oct. 9, 2022.

Lee LK, et al. Pediatrics. 2022;doi: 10.1542/peds.2022-060070.

Lee LK, et al. Pediatrics. 2022;doi: 10.1542/peds.2022-060071.