High-quality Research on the Impact of Deaths Due to Firearms Is Critical for Fairly Evaluating Public Policy

Excerpt

I grew up in rural Ohio, where many people owned firearms with few legal restrictions. During my childhood, my father owned guns, and he personally ranked states by how restrictive their guns laws were. I have also lived in other states with very restrictive access to firearms. Given these experiences, I have often wondered: do more restrictive firearm laws make any impact, positively or negatively, on public health? During my career as a clinician, researcher and bioethicist, I have wanted to see more evidence on how policy impacts people, particularly with regard to firearm laws. Having more information would help policy makers and healthcare professionals alike have more meaningful discussions on the impact of different state policies with stakeholders involved in this controversial issue in the USA. …