NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A City Council member is unveiling first-in-the-nation legislation requiring gun stores to display graphic imagery that conveys the dangers of owning guns in the home.
Council Member Erik Bottcher, of Manhattan, wants to drive home the message to help reduce gun violence, which is the leading cause of death of children in the U.S.
“It’s proven that imagery associated with text is an effective way of communicating public health messages,” Bottcher said.
He planned a news conference on the steps of City Hall on Thursday morning with activists from the gun control group March for Our Lives.
A recent court ruling by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals paved the way for the legislation, which will be introduced Thursday.
“The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that graphic images on cigarette packaging did not violate the First Amendment,” Bottcher said.
The councilman wants to take that approach to cigarettes, which is already used on tobacco packaging in other countries, and apply it to guns.
The legislation would require the 14 gun stores in New York City to have signage over the counter that includes graphic imagery along with accompanying safety warnings about the risks of homicide, suicide and unintentional injury.
“The image could be of a child reaching for a gun in an unsecured drawer,” Bottcher said.
He said it’s a public health approach to a public health crisis. The images would be designed by the city health department.
“Every consumer who walks into a gun store, is considering buying a gun should know that firearm is exponentially more likely to hurt someone in their home,” Bottcher said.