Surgeon General Declares Firearm Violence an Urgent Public Health Crisis

‘Firearm violence is a public health crisis. Our failure to address it is a moral crisis,’ Dr. Murthy said.

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy speaks during a meeting in Washington on Jan. 18, 2023. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued the first-ever surgeon general’s advisory on firearm violence on June 25, saying that it poses an urgent threat to the nation’s health and well-being.

The unprecedented advisory calls for a public health approach to address what Dr. Murthy describes as a “moral crisis” that demands immediate and decisive action.