Gun violence may have been partially eclipsed by the COVID-19 pandemic in the public consciousness and on the policy agenda, but it continues to devastate communities across the United States at an alarming rate. From 2010 to 2019, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that annual firearm deaths in the US increased 25 percent, from 31,672 to 39,682. At the same time, a record number of firearm sales were recorded in 2020.
With a third of Americans owning guns, understanding gun owners’ attitudes toward gun violence prevention can help policymakers build consensus to enact policy. The analysis presents survey evidence that shows many gun owners are supportive of policies designed to prevent firearm-involved violence, including purchase and possession prohibitions for individuals with mental illness or a history of domestic violence. However, gun owners’ private attitudes often do not translate to public support. This may be, in part, due to g
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A national survey of approximately 4,000 adults who live in households with firearms found that fewer than 10 percent have ever discussed firearm safety with a clinician (12% of those with children, 5% of those without). When conversations occurred, the most common advice given across all clinical settings was to lock all household firearms. A brief report is published in
Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, and Quinnipiac Universities analyzed data from the 2019 National Firearms Survey, conducted online from July to August 2019. Adults living in homes with firearms were asked if a physician or other health care provider ever spoke to them about firearm safety. If yes, the participants were asked where the discussions occurred and whether the patient was an adult or child. They were also asked about the advice given.