Troubling trends are emerging during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a recent CDC report indicating that 11% of Americans have seriously considered suicide since the pandemic started. Coupled with data that show 61% of gun deaths are suicides, APA continues to advocate for the safe storage of firearms to prevent these tragedies. The association is advising the End Family Fire campaign, spearheaded by the Brady Campaign and the Ad Council. APA member Eric Mankowski, PhD, participated in a virtual roundtable to announce the launch of the campaign’s new suicide prevention public service announcements and talked about the importance of safely storing firearms. APA also submitted written testimony (PDF 203KB) to the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee calling for lethal means safety training (including safe storage) for Department of Veterans Affairs employees, and veteran-specific lethal means safety counseling for veterans who seek care at the VA.
For more information, contact Ben Vonachen.