Policies that Work to Reduce Gun Violence

On September 23, the American Public Health Association and the Bloomberg American Health Initiative co-hosted Policies That Work to Reduce Gun Violence.

This half-day forum, held at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.:

• highlighted the most up-to-date evidence on gun violence prevention, and
• elevated the best research on strategies to reduce deaths and injuries stemming from gun violence.

In 2017, there were 39,773 gun deaths in the United States. Firearm suicides, the most common form of firearm-related death, have risen steadily since 1999, and the number of persons killed or injured in public mass shootings has increased dramatically over the past decade.

Scientific evidence can inform solutions to the national epidemic of gun violence. To complement the national discussion of important legislation to expand background checks, this half-day forum examined the data behind other policies that can save many lives.

The program ran from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, and featured presentations and panel discussions with moderated Q&As. Questions were submitted by the virtual audience using the hashtag #gunpoliciesthatwork.

Resources:

• Watch the recap video
• Watch the full recording 
• View photos
• View the speakers' slides

Videos of each speaker's presentation are available on the Initiative's YouTube page, and are linked below.

Agenda:

Welcome   watch the recording

     Georges C. Benjamin, MD - Executive Director, APHA; Professorial Lecturer, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University

     Joshua M. Sharfstein, MD - Vice Dean, Public Health Practice and Community Engagement; Director, Bloomberg American Health Initiative; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Policy 1: Extreme Risk Protection Orders   watch the recording

     Shannon Frattaroli, PhD - Core Faculty, Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research; Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

     Jeffrey Swanson, PhD - Professor, Duke University School of Medicine; Visiting Scholar, Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research

Policy 2: Stronger Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence  watch the recording

     April Zeoli, PhD, MPH - Associate Professor, School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University

Policy 3: Licensing  watch the recording

     Cassandra Crifasi, PhD - Deputy Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research; Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Policy 4: Restricting Assault Weapons and Large Capacity Magazines  watch the recording

     Daniel Webster, ScD - Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research; Bloomberg Professor of American Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Q&A with Panel 1   watch the recording

     Moderated by Georges C. Benjamin, MD - Executive Director, APHA; Professorial Lecturer, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University

Policy 5: Interventions with High-Risk Individuals - Group & Cure Violence Intervention   watch the recording

     Shani Buggs, PhD, MPH - Postdoctoral Fellow, Violence Prevention Research Program, University of California Davis; Affiliated Research Analyst, Center for Gun Policy and Research, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Policy 6: Hospital-Based Interventions   watch the recording

     Carnell Cooper, MD - Chief Medical Officer, Northeast Methodist Hospital

Policy 7: Reducing Blight in Urban Areas   watch the recording

     Charles Branas, PhD - Gelman Endowed Professor, Epidemiology / Chair, Department of Epidemiology; Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Policy 8: Gun Violence Research   watch the recording

     Linda Christine DeGutis, DrPH - Executive Director, Defense Health Horizons; Adjunct Professor, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University

Q&A with Panel 2   watch the recording

     Moderated by Joshua M. Sharfstein, MD - Vice Dean, Public Health Practice and Community Engagement; Director, Bloomberg American Health Initiative; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

For more information, contact:

Marianne Amoss, Bloomberg American Health Initiative: 443-600-0121, mamoss [at] jhu.edu (mamoss[at]jhu[dot]edu)

Arnice Cottom, American Public Health Association: 202-777-3913, media.relations [at] apha.org (media[dot]relations[at]apha[dot]org)

This was a widely attended event in accordance with Congressional ethics rules.