This morning, the US Surgeon General released an advisory declaring firearm violence as a public health crisis in America.

The Surgeon General’s call for immediate awareness and action on this urgent public health issue aligns with the work that the ACS and its Committee on Trauma (COT) Injury Prevention and Control Committee have been doing for decades.

The concurrent evolution of injury prevention science and ACS advocacy efforts have led to active engagement in structured research, education and training, community prevention, and outreach programs that promote data-driven injury prevention strategies at federal, state, and community levels. Much more work needs to be done, however, and we applaud the Surgeon General for a call to action and laying out the stark statistics highlighting the scope of the problem.

Earlier this month, ACS Executive Director & CEO Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, and COT Chair Jeffrey D. Kerby, MD, PhD, FACS, were among those attending a White House Summit of Health System and Executives on the Public Health Crisis of Gun Violence. It was the first time the White House ever convened health systems and hospitals to discuss public health solutions to address firearm violence.

The ACS stands ready to work with all stakeholders and find actionable solutions to end this epidemic. Since 2020, firearm-related injury has been the leading cause of death for US children and adolescents.

You can help today by urging your lawmakers to support comprehensive universal background checks for all firearm purchases and transfers. It takes only a few minutes using SurgeonsVoice.