According to the state health department, gun deaths in Colorado have been steadily increasing for more than a decade, as reflected in the dashboard, in addition to mass shootings that have received a lot of media and public attention. .
Meanwhile, state leaders and community advocates have been working to combat this trend.
They are now turning to a new avenue: a public health approach to preventing gun violence.
This push stems from a partnership between the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention and the Colorado School of Public Health’s Center for Injury and Violence Prevention.
This hub is known as the Colorado Gun Violence Prevention Resource Bank. According to a health department press release, it intends to provide information to a “diverse audience ranging from researchers to the general public.”
The dashboard includes data on firearm fatalities, mass shootings, extreme risk protection orders, firearm sales data, and firearm access and storage.
Provided by CDPHEThe Colorado in Context section compares state and national data. The report notes that from 2018 to 2021, Colorado had higher gun death and suicide rates than the United States, but lower gun homicide rates.
The Firearm Access and Storage page shows that nearly 64% of Coloradans do not own a firearm and nearly 37% own at least one. Of those who have firearms in or around their home, 28% keep at least one loaded and more than half keep at least one unlocked. 15% keep at least one firearm both unlocked and loaded.
Provided by CDPHEThe hub follows previous efforts to raise safety awareness, including through the Colorado Gun Shop Project, a coalition working to communicate suicide prevention messages to gun owners.
The state health department said the new location is a critical step.
“The first step in solving a problem using a public health approach is to thoroughly understand the scope of the problem through data,” said Jonathan McMillan, former director of CDPHE’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention. states. “This resource bank will be invaluable to anyone interested in being part of the solution and preventing firearm-related harm in their communities.”
Mr. McMillan will take up his post in 2022. He announced Wednesday that he was resigning, but did not explain why or what he planned to do next.
From 2016 to 2021, an average of 911 people died each year from firearms in Colorado, according to the Colorado Vital Statistics Program. In 2021, Colorado ranked 18th in the nation for firearm-related deaths.
Provided by CDPHEAccording to CDPHE, the resource bank and dashboard will be expanded to include additional information, resources and data.
“The Center for Injury and Violence Prevention is pleased to support the Office of Gun Violence Prevention in the continued advancement of the resource bank,” Dr. Ashley Brooks Russell, director of the Center for Injury and Violence Prevention, said in a release. The effort is described as a joint initiative of the Colorado School of Public Health and the School of Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
“As an organization committed to reducing gun harm and its consequences through quality research, education, and practice, we are committed to ensuring Resource Bank’s growth aligns with the needs of our communities.” said Brooks-Russell.
“This information will help Coloradans of all stripes, from policymakers to the general public, understand what gun violence looks like in our state and how we can reduce the physical and psychological harm associated with firearms.” We hope this will help us understand how this can be prevented.” Emmy Betts is an emergency medicine physician and deputy director of the Center for Injury and Violence Prevention.
