PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — With the U.S. Surgeon General declaring gun violence a public health crisis this week, the Pennsylvania Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics hosted an online community forum on strategies to prevent child firearm injury and suicide.
The CDC says hundreds of young children in the U.S. have been killed while playing with guns over the last two decades. The majority of the deaths are due to guns being kept unlocked and loaded.
Doctors with the Pennsylvania Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics stressed the importance of gun locks, gun ownership training and how to become an advocate for public policy to prevent unintentional injury and suicide by firearm among children.
Dr. Vivek Ashok, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said education must be paired with proper preventative safety measures.
"Children are curious, they are impulsive, they are in a stage of development, in which education needs to be supplemented by prevention of access through secure firearm storage and other lethal means of safety," he said.
Ashok went on to say that just like discussing the importance of bicycle helmets or vaccines with patients and their families, gun safety is also brought up.
"The goal of a harm reduction approach is really to ally with the family and patients to identify an achievable action against firearm related harm, but considering patient concerns, preferences, structural inequities and other relevant factors," he said.
The Pennsylvania Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics routinely holds webinars to educate parents, professionals, legislators, media, and the public about the needs of children, families, and communities.