Doctors are here to stay in talking about prevention of gun violence

Last month, doctors across the country opposed the National Rifle Association stance that they shouldn't be a part of the national gun violence conversation, telling us to "stay in your lane." Conversations on social media and in the news were quick to politicize the issue. But to me, preventing gun violence is not about being pro-gun or anti-gun, and it's not about being political.

It's about the health and safety of our children.

As a pediatrician, I know that gun violence is one of the most serious health concerns facing children in our state and across the country. I also know that preventing a leading cause of death for children is a lane I need to be in.

Gun violence has a devastating impact on children and teenagers, and pediatricians are on the front lines. Over 2,700 children and teens under the age of 19 are shot and killed every year. An additional 14,500 are shot and injured. In fact, gun violence is the second-leading cause of death for children. American children ages 5 to 14 are 14 times more likely to be killed by guns than their peers in other high-income countries. That makes this a uniquely American problem.

Children are also frequently victims of unintentional death by guns, which often happens when children have access to guns that are not responsibly stored. I was horrified when I learned that in 2017, South Carolina had one of the highest numbers of instances in which a minor hurt or killed someone with a gun. Since 2015, there have been at least 34 incidents of unintentional shootings by children in our state.

As doctors, we are trained to handle delicate situations in order to assess what may pose a health risk to our patients. That's why this summer in the Medical University of South Carolina's pediatric primary care clinic, I helped implement a program to prevent unintentional shootings by promoting responsible gun storage in the home.

Looking at gun safety through a public health lens means recognizing that doctors must play an important role in the conversation. Any other epidemic that resulted in as many deaths as gun violence would be treated as a health crisis. Gun violence is no different.

The children that I treat know that they are in danger. It's a reality they face every time they go through a lockdown drill at school or hear reports of another deadly school shooting on the news. As their caretakers, we must also face this reality and speak up to protect them.

While children are particularly vulnerable, gun violence affects us all. Every day, 96 Americans are killed with guns, and hundreds more are shot and injured. These tragedies have a ripple effect to millions of people who witness gun violence, mourn a loved one who was shot and killed or care for someone who has been injured.

Our community knows all too well that these numbers aren't just statistics. The numbers represent mothers, fathers, grandparents, neighbors and teachers with children in their lives who are forever changed by the long-term effects of gun violence. Every time gun violence victims are rushed to the hospital, the doctors who race to treat them have only one thing on their mind, and it isn't politics - it is saving the life of the person in their care.

In my personal opinion, doctors will never be silent on this issue, and we should all agree that the lives of children and families must take priority over political agendas. It's what we, as the adults, must do. Plain and simple.

With another legislative session around the corner, state lawmakers will again consider bills that would make it easier for people with dangerous histories to access guns. These lawmakers can help keep South Carolinians, especially our children, out of harm's way and hospital beds by rejecting these bills. For the sake of citizens across our state, I hope they do.

Dr. Annie Lintzenich Andrews, M.D., MSCR is an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina.