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AFSP partners with National Shoot Sports Foundation to promote firearm suicide prevention
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The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention recently established a partnership with the National Shooting Sports Foundation in an effort to develop public education resources for firearms retailers, shooting ranges and firearm owners about suicide prevention and firearms.
“This partnership has been a true collaboration since we started conversations last year. AFSP sees this relationship as critical to reaching the firearms community,” Robert Gebbia, MA, CEO of AFSP, said in a press release. “One of the first areas identified through Project 2025 was a need to involve the gun-owning community in suicide prevention. By joining forces with [National Shooting Sports Foundation], we reach both firearm owners and sellers nationwide to inform and educate them about suicide prevention and firearms, and offer specific actions they can do to prevent suicide. Through Project 2025 analysis and the work of this partnership, we know that this public education has the potential to save thousands of lives.”
Robert Gebbia
The collaboration is part of the AFSP’s firearm and suicide prevention pilot program, which includes six AFSP chapters in Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri and New Mexico.
These chapters were chosen based on a number of factors, including chapter volunteer capacity and rates of suicide by firearms.
As part of the program, AFSP is working with representatives from local gun shops, shooting ranges and hunting clubs.
The organizations plan to expand the pilot programs to AFSP chapters nationwide within 2 years.
“The firearms industry has long been at the forefront of successful accident-prevention efforts and programs aimed at reducing unauthorized access to firearms. Since two-thirds of all fatalities involving firearms are suicides, we are now also in the forefront of helping to prevent these deaths through our new relationship with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention,” Stephen L. Sanetti, JD, president and CEO, of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said in the release.