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.
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.
-
5 museum-grade cartoons about Trump's Smithsonian purge
Cartoons Artists take on institutional rebranding, exhibit interpretation, and more
-
Settling the West Bank: a death knell for a Palestine state?
In the Spotlight The reality on the ground is that the annexation of the West Bank is all but a done deal
-
Codeword: August 23, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Food may contribute more to obesity than exercise
Under the radar The devil's in the diet
-
Is that the buzzing sound of climate change worsening sleep apnea?
Under the radar Catching diseases, not those ever-essential Zzs
-
Deadly fungus tied to a pharaoh's tomb may help fight cancer
Under the radar A once fearsome curse could be a blessing
-
Climate change can impact our gut health
Under the radar The gastrointestinal system is being gutted
-
Orthorexia nervosa: when clean eating goes too far
The Explainer Being healthy is fine, but obsessing over it is dangerous
-
Children's breakfast cereals are getting more unhealthy
Under the radar Your kids may be starting their day with more than a spoonful of sugar
-
A happy gut is a healthy gut. These 5 tips aim to help you achieve that goal.
The Week Recommends A healthy gut is all the rage in wellness circles
-
Fly like a breeze with these 5 tips to help cope with air travel anxiety
The Week Recommends You can soothe your nervousness about flying before boarding the plane