Lock It Up
 By
Scott
Berns, MD, MPH, Director, Injury Prevention Center,
Rhode Island, Hasbro Children's and The Miriam Hospitals
My story begins with a policeman coming home after a long day. He
wearily greets his family, tosses his gun and holster aside, and falls
asleep on the sofa. The next morning, his three-year-old son wanders into
the kitchen where his mother is preparing breakfast. When she turns
around, the child holds out the gun to her. I was that three-year-old boy
and I am grateful to be able to tell you that story has a happy ending. In
similar situations, many other families aren't so lucky.
I'm an emergency room physician at Hasbro Children's Hospital, a
Level I trauma center. I see what happens when firearms get into the wrong
hands.
The statistics tell the story:
- 10 children die every day in this country as a result of injuries
from guns
- one in three homes has a gun
- in those homes, 20 percent of the guns are kept loaded and unlocked
- In the 10- to 34-year-old age group, injury from firearms is the
second leading cause of death
These are statistics that must be changed to protect children and
families. As a start, Lifespan has spearheaded a gun safety program. In
1999, Lifespan joined with local police departments and community groups
to host a series of statewide gun safety fairs. At the fairs, we
distributed-free of charge-more than 2,000 trigger locks. Funds for
the locks came from Lifespan's Community Health Institute, Kent and
South County hospitals and the Rhode Island Prevention Coalition. Along
with the locks, our physicians talked with people about ways to keep kids
away from guns, and police officers demonstrated the proper use of locks.
As providers of health care, law enforcement and community well being,
we feel a collective need to do more to prevent firearms tragedies. Our
hope is that this is just the first of many such programs to safeguard
children. If we can prevent just one injury, it will be well worth all
our efforts.
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