Gun safety is a public health mission in new Polk County campaign
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Gun safety becomes part of Polk County Health Department's mission in a campaign that launches next week, director Helen Eddy tells Axios.
Why it matters: Program advocates want to prevent tragedies like the one at the downtown Starts Right Here youth program earlier this year.
- Gun violence is a growing and serious threat to public health, Eddy says.
Details: The campaign is a collaboration between multiple metro health providers.
- Doctors having regular conversations with child caregivers about safe gun storage will become routine, like how they already inquire about things like car seats or electrical outlet covers.
Plus, a public education component will encourage parents to inquire about firearms storage in the homes of other families where their kids play.
- Local law enforcement agencies and some community groups will also offer free gun locks.
State of play: Local health advocates formed the program following multiple youth shooting deaths in the last year, Eddy says.
- Some initiatives are modeled after other programs, like one with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that promotes safe storage and free gun locks to reduce suicide attempts.
By the numbers: Nationally, firearms were involved in 4,733 child and teen deaths in 2021, according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
- That’s more than any other type of injury or illness, per the report.
Zoom in: An average of 47 people died from gun violence in Polk County each year between 2016 and 2020, according to data from the Polk County Health Department and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.
- Suicide accounted for nearly two-thirds of those deaths.
What's next: Starting when the program launches next Tuesday, gun locks will be available at the health department's offices at 1907 Carpenter Ave. in DSM.
- Additional pick-up sites will be posted online.