Gun Violence Public Health Crisis Is Subject Of Year Long Review At Washington University In St Louis

Author: Roger Bernier, MPH, PhD

An estimated 32,000 persons die (88 per day) as a result of firearm-related violence, suicides, and accidents in the US, the highest rate among industrialized countries. Also, firearm injuries are double the number of deaths (1). In response to this situation, Washington University in St Louis has launched a year long examination of the problem. The effort was launched by hosting a panel in the spring of 2015 where Mark Wrighton, the Chancellor, referred to a 2013 report from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council of The National Academies in Washington, D.C., that identified the lack of data about the public health aspects of gun violence as a serious national challenge.

The IOM report called upon researchers at public health organizations and universities to dedicate resources to studying the problem and contributing to a fuller base of information.

Wrighton also noted a February 2015 national call-to-action jointly issued by the nation’s leading health organizations and the American Bar Association for a public health approach to firearm-related violence and prevention of firearm injuries and death.

These organizations also recommended the need for more research and data that would help decision makers address policy concerns.

As one of the world’s leading research universities – with top-ranked schools of medicine and social work and a multidisciplinary Institute of Public Health – medicine and social work and a multidisciplinary Institute of Public Health –Washington University clearly has a role to play in this important effort,” Wrighton said.

“Bringing together our academic strengths to address major societal challenges is a part of our mission. Our goal, by engaging in the conversation, is to help develop real solutions that have a real chance of making a real difference and, in the process, help to reduce death and injury from firearms,” Wrighton said.

The panel was the first in a series of events and discussions designed to explore three key themes regarding gun violence: What we know, what we need to know and what to do about this critical issue.

What to do about the problem was addressed by the 8 Health Professional Organizations and the American Bar Association in their call to action earlier this year. They recommended:

1. Background checks for firearm purchases

2. Remove physician “gag laws” that oppose discussion with patients about firearms

3. Increase access to and coordination of mental health care

4. Pass physician reporting laws about persons that might cause harm in a fashion that protects confidentiality.

5. Restrict assault weapons.

6. Fund more research about the causes and consequences of gun violence

7. Educate about the true meaning of the 2nd amendment

To watch a video of the panel event at Washington University, visit: https://tinyurl.com/o7m5xjs ■

Epi Crossword Puzzle – April 2023 Per Protocol

Our crossword puzzle was created by by Dr. Richard Dicker A former CDC employee and not-quite-retired epidemiologist. For an online version go to: https://bit.ly/445fGHo For the solution to March’s crossword please go to page 18.

- Crossword Questions cont'd on page 10

Across

1. District for old-time political boss

5. Soda in the Midwest

8. Run up, as debt

13. Chills, fever

14. What buffalo do on the range

16. Alicia Keys' 2007 hit

17. Protocol section (sort of)

20. Difficult

21. Go, to Burns

22. "Shoo!"

23. Mos. and mos.

25. Ashes holder

26. Chicago trains

27. Protocol subsection

32. Descriptor for one-percenters

33. A Stooge

34. Type a number in cell A34, for example

37. Tuesday restaurant special

38. Two-word sentiment describing "When that great ship went down"

41. Swoosh company

42. Plant life

44. Musical Yoko

45. December 24 and 31

46. What you don't want your study to be

50. Preserve, in a way

52. Jerry Lewis telethon org.

53. +

54. Dirt road hazzard

55. "How Dry ___"

56. Currency in Freetown

61. Protocol section (if studying human subjects)

65. Cache

66. Wine area

67. Last name of three Schitt's Creek cast members

68. Combustible woodpiles

69. Alfred E. Neuman magazine

70. African antelope

Down

1. Light bulb unit

2. Biology lab supply

3. July birthstone

4. Pastrami purveyor

5. Some schools of public health have degree and nondegree ones

6. Cartoon exclamation after gut punch

7. -Man (arcade game)

8. Passionate

9. ___ Valley, San Francisco

10. Type of heart failure

11. Up to

12. Takes five

15. Big shot

18. Irish singer / songwriter

19. Not a one

24. Vibrating bassinet brand (expensive!)

27. Rotary phone feature

28. Be the reason

29. Pricker

30. "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" writer

31. Baltimore's _____ Harbor

32. Document "save as" option

35. Barely managed, with "out"

36. Notes after dos

39. Buffalo's relative

40. Save to your hard drive

43. Looks up to

47. Netherlands cheese

48. Popular college student dinner option

49. First family's home

50. Like some bills from a bank

51. Mommy's sister

57. Nobel Peace Prize city

58. At no time, poetically

59. It's a sin

60. "Hadestown" river

62. Neighbor of Wash.

63. Beaver's work

64. Tax pro, for short

Editor's Note: All of us are confronted with more material than we can possibly hope to digest each month. However, that doesn't mean that we should miss some of the articles that appear in the public media on topics of interest to the epi community. The EpiMonitor curates a monthly list of some of the best articles we've encountered in the past month. See something you think others would like to read? Please send us a link at info@epimonitor.net and we'll include it in the next month

A Focus on Children

♦ Possible culprit identified in severe liver damage cases in children (NBC News) https://bit.ly/41F8uAa

♦ Are toy cosmetics making children sick? (Columbia University Magazine) https://bit.ly/3oIsaEQ

Public Health Topics

♦ A deadly fungus with mysterious origins is raising concerns (National Geographic) https://bit.ly/41uXvJD

♦ Everything to know about the rare fungal infection that has led to 1 death and dozens of infections in MI (ABC News) https://bit.ly/3mYYT8u

♦ A deadly cousin of Ebola has flared up in Africa (Wired Magazine) https://bit.ly/3Nj3P2N

♦ A major strain of Flu has gone missing and may never be seen again (The Atlantic via AppleNews) https://bit.ly/3Au3HWA

♦ Univ of AZ researchers to help track fungus in Arizona wastewater (Univ of AZ News) https://bit.ly/3LvlPp8

♦ Nutrition scientist uncovers mysterious health benefit from ice cream (The Atlantic) https://bit.ly/3L91C74

♦ Lung cancer incidence varies greatly among Florida’s ethnic sub-groups (AACR) https://bit.ly/3nbwnjP

♦ Strep is bad right now – antibiotic shortage is making it worse (NPR) https://bit.ly/3Hdg4tR

- Reading cont'd on page 12