Burden Of Gun Violence Falls On Kids
When young people die, it is usually unexpected and by accident. Injuries suffered during motor vehicle crashes used to be the number one cause of death in people 1-24 years old until 2017, when firearm fatalities took the lead. Lois K. Lee, M.D. and colleagues explain why: This change occurred because of both the rising number of firearm-related deaths in this age group and the nearly continuous reduction in deaths from motor vehicle crashes. The crossing of these trend lines demonstrates how a concerted approach to injury prevention can reduce injuries and deaths — and, conversely, how a public health problem can be exacerbated in the absence of such attention. In children 18 and under, the two lines crossed in 2020, observes Annette Choi: Guns are the leading cause of death for US children and teens, since surpassing car accidents in 2020. Firearms accounted for nearly 19% of childhood deaths (ages 1-18) in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control ...