Of the roughly 16,000 homicides that happen in the U.S. each year, approximately two thirds are committed with a firearm. Since 1982, there have been over 60 mass shootings in the U.S., and of all the guns used in them, more than three quarters were legally obtained.
These deaths are preventable and the conversation about violence prevention and gun policy in the U.S. has begun. Unfortunately, the public health role is not often recognized or included in the discussion. As the debate continues in Congress, state legislatures and on Main Street, it is important to understand the evidence related to violence prevention and gun policy in the U.S. and the role of the public health community in these debates.
Dialogue4Health is an internet-based broadcasting platform that has produced nearly 183 Web Forums for over 27,000 participants. In 2013, Dialogue4Health and American Public Health Association will host a series of two Web Forums that will provide a space for an open discussion on violence prevention, gun policy and public health. The Web Forums will bring together speakers of diverse backgrounds and knowledge to discuss the current state of violence in our country and engage participants on the future of violence prevention.
The Web Forum will:
- Provide an overview of gun violence and gun laws in the U.S.;
- Elaborate upon the link between guns, violence, the media and mental health using the current research and evidence; and
- Make the case for gun violence as a public health issue.
Presenters
Deborah Prothrow-Stith, MD
Dean, College of Medicine
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science
Los Angeles, CA
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Deborah Prothrow-Stith, M.D. is dean and professor of Medicine for the College of Medicine at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. Dr. Prothrow-Stith is an internationally recognized public health leader, who since 2008 has advised top-tier healthcare, life sciences, academic and not-for-profit institutions on leadership and executive talent…
Stephen Teret, JD, MPH
Director
Johns Hopkins Center for Law and the Public’s Health
Baltimore, MD
- Founding Director, Center for Gun Policy and Research, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Stephen Teret is a Professor of Health and Public Policy in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he directs the Center for Law and the Public’s Health. He is the founding Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research. Professor Teret has spent more…
David Hemenway, PhD
Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management
Harvard School of Public Health
Boston, MA
- Director, Harvard Injury Control Research Center, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
David Hemenway, PhD, is an economist and Professor at Harvard School of Public Health and a former James Marsh Visiting Professor at Large at the University of Vermont. He is Director of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center and the Harvard Youth Violence Prevention Center. He received the Excellence in…
Moderator
Georges Benjamin, MD, FACP, FNAPA, FACEP (E), Hon FRSPH
Executive Director
American Public Health Association
Washington, DC
Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP(E), Hon FRSPH, is the executive director of the American Public Health Association (APHA), the United States oldest and largest organization of public health professionals. For the last 20 years he has been actively practicing public health at the local, national and international level. He…