Gun Violence Is a Health Issue—Not Just a Criminal One
Why doctors, not just cops, need to be at the front lines of the fight
In 2020, guns surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States. Read that again. Not cancer. Not playground accidents. Guns.
And yet, every time health professionals speak out on gun violence, someone inevitably says, "Stay in your lane."
Well—this is our lane.
Here’s what’s even more concerning: the recent Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) commission report—tasked with tackling America’s most pressing health issues—barely mentioned gun violence at all.
In a country where children are more likely to die from a bullet than a bike accident, ignoring firearm violence in a national health strategy is a dangerous oversight.
As a surgeon, I’ve seen the human cost of gun violence up close. I've operated on bodies torn apart by bullets, comforted families after we couldn’t stop the bleeding, and helped survivors begin the long, painful road of physical and emotional recovery. What happens after the trigger is pulled—that’s medicine’s domain.
Gun violence is not just a political issue. It's a public health crisis.
🧠 Trauma, Not Just Tragedy
Gun violence causes more than death—it causes disability, disfigurement, and deep psychological trauma. Survivors often face lifelong complications: spinal cord injuries, bowel resections, chronic infections, PTSD, and depression.
The ripple effects extend to families, communities, and generations.
📈 A Data-Driven Epidemic
Public health professionals deal in patterns and prevention. Just like we did with smoking, drunk driving, and seatbelt use, we analyze risk factors and intervene early.
Firearm injuries follow predictable, preventable trends:
Children in homes with unsecured guns are at higher risk.
Domestic violence situations with a gun present are five times more likely to end in homicide.
Gun violence spreads like a contagion—witnessing it increases the risk of committing or falling victim to it (Slutkin et al., 2013).
This is not speculation. It's science.
💸 The Financial Burden Is Medical, Too
Gun injuries cost the U.S. over $1 billion in emergency medical care every year—and that doesn’t include rehab, mental health treatment, lost productivity, or long-term care.
A large chunk of that is paid by taxpayers, through Medicaid and uncompensated care.
🩺 What Health Professionals Can—and Must—Do
We don’t need to become politicians. We just need to do what we’ve always done: follow the evidence and care for people.
Advocate for common-sense policies like universal background checks, safe storage laws, and funding for gun violence research.
Screen for risk factors during routine visits—just like we do for smoking or domestic violence.
Speak out—on social media, in your clinics, and in your communities.
🚫 “Stay In Your Lane?” No Thanks.
Telling doctors to "stay in their lane" is like telling a firefighter not to worry about arson.
When you’re the one trying to save a teenager with a gunshot wound, this doesn’t feel like politics. It feels like a daily emergency.
🧵 Final Thoughts
Gun violence is a criminal justice issue. But it's also a health issue, an equity issue, and a moral issue. And health professionals are uniquely equipped to address it—because we see the damage, we understand the data, and we know what prevention looks like.
If you’re ready for honest conversations about public health, medicine, and food policy—without the usual political noise—subscribe to Fork U wherever you get your podcasts, and follow me here on Substack.
📩 Subscribe. Share. Speak up.
Because silence, like gunshots, has consequences.