http://www.theblaze.com/stories/public-health-experts-reportedly-targeting-gun-violence-as-social-disease/
(The Blaze/AP) — Is a gun like a virus, tobacco or alcohol? According to “public health experts,“ who in the wake of recent mass shootings are calling for a fresh look at gun violence as a â€social disease,†it is.
What we need, they say, is a “public health approach†to the problem.
Dr. Garen Wintemute of University of California, Davis claims it is no longer enough to tackle gun violence by focusing solely on the people doing the shooting. Dr. Stephen Hargarten, who treated victims of the Sikh temple shootings at the emergency department he heads in Milwaukee, feels the same way.
“What I’m struggling with is, is this the new social norm?†he asked, before asserting: “This is what we’re going to have to live with if we have more personal access to firearms.â€
He continued: “We have a public health issue to discuss. Do we wait for the next outbreak or is there something we can do to prevent it?â€
About 260 million to 300 million firearms are owned by civilians in the United States; about one-third of American homes have one. Last year, 55 percent of Americans said gun laws should either remain the same or become more lenient.