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Photo by Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS

Health care organizations are working to change the narrative of gun violence and frame it as a public health issue. The Canadian Paediatric Society has called on federal parties to commit to gun control. Concerned that youth are disproportionately at risk from guns, they also want air and BB guns more tightly regulated to reduce injuries.

The core philosophy of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is that guns are a public health issue. The advocacy group is made up of physicians, many of whom have directly witnessed the aftermath of gun violence. This approach is a direct rebuttal of the NRA’s “stay in your lane” message to American health care providers, who have become increasingly vocal about the devastation bullets can wreak.

The public health approach starts by acknowledging gang violence is only a fraction of gun deaths. Suicide is often an impulsive act, and when a weapon as effective as a gun is available, the likelihood of completed suicide rises dramatically. Simply having a gun in the home increases the risk of death by suicide. Mental health experts are calling for a national youth suicide strategy, noting that the rate of suicide in Indigenous communities is staggeringly high. Guns must be included in mental health policy if we are serious about reducing suicide deaths.

Guns are also part of the conversation on gender-based violence. They’re involved in 34 per cent of women’s murders. In intimate partner violence, a woman’s risk of death is higher if her partner owns a gun. This risk is substantially increased for rural and Indigenous women. Studies have also shown that women are less likely to disclose abuse if there is a gun in the home, suggesting a role in the psychology of fear and intimidation in family violence.