Research indicates that 4.6 million American children live in homes with at least one gun that is loaded and unlocked. It is the adult’s responsibility to keep kids safe and prevent unauthorized access to guns. It is still vitally important to teach kids to not touch guns if they find one, and to tell an adult right away. Simply talking to children about guns is a precaution, not a guarantee of safety. Kids are curious and they may find and touch an unsecured gun even if they have been told not to.
If a child handles a gun, a bad decision can quickly become a fatal one. Each year in the United States, nearly 350 children aged 17 and under gain access to a firearm and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else. Over 600 more children die by suicide, with a gun, each year. Eighty-percent of these youth gained access to the firearm at home or a relative’s home.
The Be SMART campaign focuses on education and awareness of child gun deaths and responsible gun storage. The first step in the Be SMART platform is Securing firearms responsibly in your home, vehicle, and garage. They should be unloaded, locked, out of reach and sight of youth, with ammunition locked, and stored separately. ‘M’ is for modeling responsible behavior around guns. ‘A’ is for asking before you visit or send your children to visit other’s homes if they have guns, and if so, ask if they are stored responsibly. Suicide can be an impulsive action and access to fatal means is often the deciding factor in completed suicides. ‘R’ in SMART is for recognizing that an unsecured gun is a risk for youth suicide, and ‘T’ is to tell others what you have learned about being SMART and responsible storage.
Ninety percent of those who attempt suicide, and then receive the crisis support they need, will not die by suicide. Help is available: Text ‘MT’ to 741-741 or call the Montana Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255—veterans press #1 for crisis support 24/7. Dannette Clawson Fadness