Attorney General Mark R. Herring has joined a multistate coalition urging Congress to immediately allow and support research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) into the causes of gun related injuries and death and the best ways to prevent these tragedies.
Attorney General Herring and thirteen of his fellow attorneys general from across the country are calling for Congress to eliminate the annual rider that blocks gun violence research efforts, and to direct funding for the CDC to study the causes of gun violence with the goal of determining the most effective prevention strategies to save lives.
“Gun violence has affected families in every corner of our Commonwealth, from cities, to the suburbs, to rural areas. If we don’t understand the root causes of gun violence and the circumstances that lead to injury and death, whether it is homicide, suicide, or assault, then we’re fighting a deadly opponent with one hand tied behind our back,” said Attorney General Herring. “There is no rational reason to block or to fear simple research on gun violence and no one benefits from continued ignorance about how and why someone uses a gun to harm themselves or someone else. Removing the prohibition on research and properly supporting the CDC could yield data-driven, scientifically-sound strategies to save thousands of lives.”
In 1996, Congress included a provision in the annual appropriations bill severely limiting the ability of the CDC to effectively examine gun violence and therefore research the circumstances that lead to the death of approximately 33,000 Americans annually, including 600 annual accidental shooting deaths. In 2014, 900 Virginians were killed by gun violence, and more than 5,000 Virginians have died from gun violence since 2010. Gun violence also disproportionately affects communities of color, as African Americans are nearly twice as likely to be injured or killed by guns as white individuals.
Analyses of prevention measures, such as counseling by healthcare providers, and scientific research into the root cause and psychology of gun violence are needed to help reduce the number of gun violence victims. Unfortunately, while more than half a million Americans have died by firearms over the past twenty years, federal funding for gun violence research has been cut by 96 percent. In their letter, the attorneys general state that sidelining the CDC severely limits data collection and discourages public health professionals from working in this field.
In their letter, the attorneys general also note that CDC-supported research has been proven to effectively save lives, as evidenced by their work to reduce automobile accident deaths:
“In other areas, CDC research to evaluate risk factors and prevention policies has saved lives. For example, research into motor vehicle deaths by the CDC helped reduce the number of automobile deaths from nearly 42,000 in 1997 to under 34,000 in 2013. This 19% reduction in fatalities occurred even though more Americans are driving more miles every year. Meanwhile, gun-related deaths are on pace to exceed automobile deaths.”
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