Surgeon general calls gun violence a health crisis
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a first-of-its-kind advisory


What happened
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared gun violence an "urgent public health crisis" on Tuesday. His first-of-its-kind advisory urged the U.S. to tackle the physical and psychological harms from shootings with the same tools and intensity used to promote smoking cessation, seat belt use and other nonpartisan public health interventions.
Who said what
More than 48,000 Americans died from firearm injuries in 2022, more than half of those deaths suicides. Gun violence overtook car accidents as the leading cause of death for children in 2020. There is "broad agreement" that gun violence is a problem, and Americans need to know "this is a profound" but "solvable public health crisis," Murthy said to USA Today. "We can do something about it."
His proposals included warning labels for firearms, banning assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, mandating safe gun storage, and increasing mental health resources for victims and witnesses of gun violence. On X, the National Rifle Association called Murthy's advisory "an extension of the Biden Administration's war on law-abiding gun owners."
What next?
Few of Murthy's suggestions "can be implemented nationwide without legislation passed by Congress," where most gun legislation dies, The Associated Press said. But some state legislatures "have enacted or may consider some of the surgeon general's proposals."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Kill the Boer: Elon Musk and the anti-apartheid song
Under the radar Billionaire reignites controversy by linking South African 'struggle song' to 'white genocide'
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Critics’ choice: Restaurants worthy of their buzz
feature A fun bistro, a reservation worth the wait, and a modern twist on Mexican dishes
By The Week US Published
-
Film reviews: Snow White, Death of a Unicorn, and The Alto Knights
Feature A makeover for Disney’s first animated feature, greedy humans earn nature’s wrath, and a feud between crime bosses rattles the mob
By The Week US Published
-
The strange phenomenon of beard transplants
In The Spotlight Inquiries for the procedure have tripled since 2020, according to one clinician, as prospective patients reportedly seek a more 'masculine' look
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How to do the 75 Hard trend the soft way
The Week Recommends The 75 Soft Challenge might be more your speed if you're trying to hit a soft reset
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Texas outbreak brings 1st US measles death since 2015
Speed read The outbreak is concentrated in a 'close-knit, undervaccinated' Mennonite community in rural Gaines County
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Mystery illness spreading in Congo rapidly kills dozens
Speed Read The World Health Organization said 53 people have died in an outbreak that originated in a village where three children ate a bat carcass
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Health care is full of cognitive biases. Some think AI can help.
The Explainer Humans are fallible but technology can be, too
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Ozempic can curb alcohol cravings, study finds
Speed read Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may also be helpful in limiting alcohol consumption
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Oysters could help combat antibiotic resistance
Under the radar The mollusk shows infection-fighting abilities
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
How Trump's executive orders are threatening scientific research
In the spotlight Agencies are purging important health information
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published