Thoughts and prayers with Newtown today

Today, we remember the lives lost in Newtown one year ago and those lost every day in communities across the country.

As we keep the Newtown families in our hearts and prayers, let us continue our resolve to use our unique position as America’s healers to put an end to these tragedies.

As a pediatrician, I am disheartened that 7 children still die every day from gun violence in our country, and that gun injuries cause twice as many deaths as cancer and 5 times as many deaths as heart disease.

Gun violence is an urgent public health crisis and as physicians on the frontlines of health care delivery it is our obligation to take action to keep children and families safe by talking with our patients about guns.

We have included some helpful resources from The Center to Prevent Youth Violence and the American Academy of Pediatrics to make talking about guns with your patients easier. And you can also read more about our gun violence prevention campaign and how you can get involved.

Gun violence is everyone’s business. When a child dies needlessly, it is everyone’s responsibility to do something about it.

We work every day to protect our patients from deadly diseases like heart disease– it’s time to do the same for gun violence.

Please join me in preventing the loss of more young lives and keeping children safe.

Dr. Nina Agrawal is a pediatrician in New York and a DFA Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence Coordinator.

Gun Violence Prevention