Further Reading
Research, legislation, and further background information
FIREARM LEGISLATION & GENERAL REFERENCES
HOMICIDE & SUICIDE
VIOLENCE AND MENTAL HEALTH
LITERATURE REVIEW FOR FEMICIDE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RELATED TO GUNS
Press releases
An open letter to Minister Bill Blair
April 20, 2020
Hon. Bill Blair
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Sent via e-mail to bill.blair@parl.gc.ca
Dear Minister Blair,
On behalf of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG), PolySeSouvient, the Coalition for Gun Control, and Danforth Families for Safe Communities, we are writing to you in deep sorrow. Like all Canadians, we grieve with the families and communities affected by the mass shooting in Nova Scotia on the weekend.
With health workers, policy makers, and all Canadians focused on the COVID-19 crisis and efforts to keep patients, communities, and families safe, it is indeed tragically unfortunate that attention must be briefly directed to another issue, but the consequences of gun violence are not constrained by a virus: firearms remain a serious public health concern, even during a pandemic.
This devastating tragedy has supplanted the original intent of our letter, which was to express our alarm over continuing media reports of an “explosion” in sales of ammunition and guns – including military style assault weapons.
As you are aware, measures to contain the virus – necessary as they are – are increasing the vulnerability of women and children in abusive environments. As has been noted by mental health experts, there is also a heightened risk of anxiety and depression during this time of health and economic uncertainty and physical distancing. The scientific evidence demonstrates very clearly the links between access to firearms and the risk of femicide, suicide, and accidental shootings.
Further, the pandemic and associated misinformation campaigns have led police and anti-hate experts to warn of a risk of violence from far-right groups. The propensity for such groups and individuals to stockpile guns, particularly military-style assault weapons, has been noted in Canada.
On both sides of the border, gun lobbies and their supporters have for years deployed a rhetoric of fear and isolationism that equates guns with freedom and personal protection. This creates a potentially dangerous environment during a pandemic. As medical experts can attest, a gun cannot protect you from a virus.
Minister, our organizations’ shared position on gun control is well known. We understand that prior to the pandemic your government had been preparing to act on election promises to restrict access to firearms. While we appreciate the capacity for substantive policy change is difficult at this moment – and acknowledge your government’s efforts to respond to the gravity of the COVID-19 crisis and resulting consequences – we implore you to take one decisive, achievable action right now: ban the new sale of military style assault weapons. As has been well documented, these guns pose an excessive risk to public safety and serve no reasonable purpose.
As this pandemic has taught us, preventative measures to protect public health and safety work, and Canadians have coalesced around the importance of scientific evidence. You have the power take an evidence-based measure right now that will save lives. Sadly, we cannot reverse past tragedies, nor prevent all future tragedies, but we can do much more to reduce the risk.
Today, we ask you to take one small step toward this goal. Please act now Minister Blair.
For more information or to arrange a meeting, please contact Christopher Holcroft, Consultant for Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, at christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca.
Sincerely,
Dr. Najma Ahmed, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Heidi Rathjen, PolySeSouvient
Wendy Cukier, Coalition for Gun Control
Ken Price and Claire Smith, Danforth Families for Safe Communities
On behalf of our organizations
Canadian Doctors for Protection releases CDPG 1 Year Later: New Stories from the Frontlines and a Cri de Coeur for Change
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) marked one year since its launch with an event in Toronto today to release a new booklet of reflections by physicians and other health professionals on treating victims of guns. Selected stories were read by prominent authors including former Governor General the Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson and Giller Prize winner Dr. Vincent Lam.
CDPG 1 Year Later: New Stories from the Frontlines and a Cri de Coeur for Change contains more than 25 first-person accounts from across the country highlighting the numerous tragic consequences of gunshot wounds on victims and their families. Stories of gun homicide, suicide, femicide, accidental shootings of children, rehabilitation and treatment of gun injury, and psychological trauma on victims, survivors, families, health workers, and communities are told with searing reality and an urgent call for change. Every story is a cautionary tale of the risks posed by the proliferation of guns in our communities.
The booklet also induces the release of an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair proposing an agenda for action.
Open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Public Safety Minister Bill Blair: One year later, new stories from the frontlines and an urgent call to act on guns
Dear Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Blair,
One year ago, physicians and health workers from across the country came together with an urgent appeal to our government: act now to reduce the human trauma caused by guns. Motivated by our firsthand experiences healing the wounded, rebuilding the broken, comforting the dying, and supporting the families of gunshot victims, we came together as servants of the public, our interest: the health and well-being of Canadians. Our message then, as now, is that it is time to take a public health approach to address this growing crisis, as we have with other social threats, from tobacco to road safety. This is how Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns came to be.
Over the course of the year, our organization has brought together 14 medical associations from across the country. We have received the endorsement of the National Council of Women of Canada. We presented overwhelming evidence – more than 150 citations to date - that restricting access to guns saves lives. We marched in the streets and organized community information sessions. We wrote letters to government and had editorials published on our behalf.
And we continued to treat victims of guns: women shot by their intimate partners; rural residents taking their own life with a firearm; revelers of an urban celebration terrorized by a public shooting young; men fighting to overcome the bullets of a handgun; children caught in the crossfire. Multiple surgeries. Numerous counselling sessions. The echoes of screams that never go away.
Some of these experiences are included in a booklet we are releasing publicly today called “CDPG 1 Year Later: New Stories from the Frontlines and a Cri de Coeur for Change”. The stories are shocking, yet so common – and so preventable. Change is needed. Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Blair, you are in positions to make this change. You must act, quickly.
From the beginning, our asks of government have been simple: reduce the proliferation of guns in our society, educate Canadians about the risks of guns in our homes and communities, and invest in the social determinants of gun violence.
Today, we are reiterating these asks and calling on your government to also take the following specific actions as part of a comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence:
Act to ban semi-automatic weapons from our country. While there is much political gamesmanship over definitions of assault weapons, the government must move immediately to enact a federal ban on the sale of weapons that can cause so much human carnage so quickly. The weapons ban must be clear, comprehensive, and err on the side of public safety.
A reasonable buyback program and stricter storage rules should follow. Invest in social determinants of gun violence to better support vulnerable people and communities. These investments should be tailored to local needs and aimed at reducing poverty, addressing inequities, and providing opportunities for young people. Groups such as Health Providers Against Poverty have expertise and recommendations that should inform the next federal Budget.
Implement a “red flag law” and other measures to lower the risk of suicide and femicide by preventing or withdrawing access to guns for people who pose a risk to themselves or others. Such measures should be combined with strengthening mental health supports.
Implement harm reductions strategies including warnings on all advertising and at the point of sale of guns to inform Canadians of the increased risks of femicide, suicide, and unintentional shootings of children posed by having a gun in the home.
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is also supportive of measures to stop the flow of illegal guns at the Canada-US border, encourage international efforts to reduce the proliferation of guns, and follow evidence-based measures on criminal justice policy.
Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Blair, in poll after poll, Canadians have made their views known. We do not have to live in fear of guns. We do not have to go down the path of the United States on guns. We do not have to wait for more people to die from guns. We can act.
It is time for you to lead.
Sincerely,
Dr. Najma Ahmed
On behalf of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
On 3rd anniversary of Islamic Cultural Centre Shooting, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns calls on Bill Blair to ban sale of semi-automatic weapons without delay
Toronto, ON – January 29, 2020 – As Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) stands in solidarity with the Muslim community, Quebecers, and all Canadians affected on the third anniversary of the mass shooting at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City, the organization calls on Bill Blair to ban the sale of semi-automatic assault weapons without delay.
The tragedy three years ago was the result of a toxic mix of hate and deadly weapons. It led to horrific loss of life and unthinkable trauma for the survivors and victims’ families left behind. We all mourn this result.
“Every day the government delays banning semi-automatic assault weapons is a day we fail to lessen the risk of mass shooting fatalities from happening,” said Dr. Najma Ahmed, trauma surgeon and co-founder of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns. “Experts including the Canadian Anti-Hate Network have detailed the ongoing risks to society if governments fail to stop hate and strengthen gun control.”
Measures to restrict access to guns are also strongly supported by medical research which consistently shows a clear correlation between restrictions on access to guns and improved public health and safety.
Consider the international experience and the implementation of restrictive gun legislation following mass shooting events:
- In Australia, in the 18 years before the Port Arthur massacre, there were 13 mass shootings (5 or more killed excluding perpetrator). In 22 years following the passage of a significant gun restriction law and the implementation of a gun buyback program ('96-'18) there were zero such incidents.
- In the UK, there has been one mass shooting event since the passage of a handgun ban following the Dunblane school shooting almost 24 years ago.
- Even in the US, mass-shooting fatalities were 70% less likely to occur during the period in which there was an assault weapons ban in that country. Contrast that to the current situation without a ban, where there were 417 mass shooting events in 2019 alone.
More recently, New Zealand’s government acted swiftly to ban semi-automatic weapons following last year’s mass shooting at a mosque in Christchurch.
“Every day the government delays, the gun lobby pleads for people to buy more of these weapons, said Dr. Philip Berger, senior adviser to Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns and Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. “While the gun lobby continues to spread false information in its hurry to sell more guns, the public health of Canadians remains at risk.”
Indeed, the gun lobby has put out repeated calls for the stockpiling of guns, including military-style assault weapons.
https://twitter.com/TWilsonOttawa/status/1219437544917667840
Just last month, Canadians marked the 30th anniversary of the killing of 14 women and the injuring of 14 more in the shooting at École Polytechnique in Montreal. Last week, the anniversary of the mass shooting at La Loche, and Moncton, Fredericton, and Toronto have also been the site of mass shootings.
“Will our Members of Parliament choose to follow the American path of ‘thoughts and prayers’ following mass shootings or will they act with courage and ban semi-automatic assault weapons?” said Dr. Ahmed. “No more delay.”
In the coming days, CDPG will be releasing new information which illustrates the ongoing trauma caused by guns in Canada, and proposing an agenda for government action to lessen it.
About Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting, for Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767 /christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
December 6, 2019
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns Remembers
Members of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is joining other Canadians in marking the 30th anniversary of the killing of 14 women and the injuring of 14 more in the shooting at École Polytechnique in Montreal. As evidenced by the stories being told over the past several days, this is a tragedy that affected individuals and a community. It haunts victims and families, first responders and journalists, advocates and citizens.
Gender-based violence and misogyny continue to plague our society, and shootings are the most common method used in the killing of women and girls. In fact, a gun in the home increases the risk of femicide. Canadians who may be at risk, and those wishing to learn more about these issues, are encouraged to speak with their physician.
We call on our political leaders to honour the memory of the victims of this tragedy by taking meaningful action to address gender-based violence in all its forms, from confronting hate to reducing poverty. The federal government must also take action on gun control, including by banning assault weapons and handguns and introducing “red flag” laws to protect vulnerable women and children. The time to act is now. Consider, the gun used in the École Polytechnique shooting is still for sale.
Today, we stand in solidarity with women and girls across the country, and with the courageous advocates of PolyRemembers/ PolySeSouvient. Their efforts over decades to change minds and laws to prevent similar tragedies is inspirational. We are grateful for their service. We remember.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting, for Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767/ christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
For immediate release
Health professionals, policy advocates, survivors of gun violence, and the Canadian Anti-Hate Network call on gun lobby to halt its dangerous rhetoric to ensure a safe election
Groups urge all political leaders to denounce offensive comments
Toronto, October 20, 2019 – Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG), the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, PolyRemembers/PolySeSouvient, Danforth Families for Safe Communities, and the Coalition for Gun Control are calling on Canadian gun lobby groups to stop its increasingly inflammatory rhetoric for the good of our democracy. The organizations are deeply concerned that reckless statements infused with violent imagery coming from gun industry and gun “rights” groups could pose a threat to ensuring a safe election day for all Canadians.
The latest vituperation was revealed in a recent statement by the Canadian Shooting Sports Association that asked: “What is an acceptable death toll for Trudeau’s Liberal Government?”, and “Minister Blair, how many Canadians are you willing to kill and injure in order to collect their guns?”
These comments follow similar troubling statements from the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights that claim doctors will “own” responsibility for children possibly being shot and killed by police officers, and are "stepping on the throats" of people who own guns and trying to "discriminate" and "hurt" them after hours; regularly disparage survivors of gun violence advocating for stronger laws as “grave dancers”, going as far as to accuse them of “supporting crime”; and have referred to a communications consultant as being “as bad a person as” Nazi propogandist Joseph Goebbels.
A security concern last week that forced Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to wear a bulletproof vest – a concern dismissed as “theatre” by gun lobby leaders – underscores the serious consequences of a rhetoric of anger and division. In 2012, one person was killed and another injured at Quebec Premier Pauline Marois’ election night victory party (with a legal assault weapon).
The peaceful functioning of our democracy relies on a civil discourse. We believe these comments do not reflect the views of the large majority of Canadians who own a firearm. We urge all political leaders to demonstrate leadership in the closing hours of the campaign and denounce such reckless rhetoric.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting, for Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767/ christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
For immediate release
Conservative Party plan to move backwards on gun control will endanger public health, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns warns
The three other major national parties all support new gun control measures with the Liberal Party offering most comprehensive approach
Toronto, October 17, 2019 – Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is warning that Andrew Scheer’s Conservative Party plan to move backwards on gun control will endanger public health. The organization is also concerned about the political company that Mr. Scheer keeps. Rod Giltaca, CEO of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR), acknowledged in a Reddit Ask Me Anything session on October 12th that the organization has “had great discussions” with the Conservative Party and “are in somewhat agreement with us that any regulation that doesn't have a demonstrable effect on public safety should be looked at very seriously”. The CCFR calls for open and concealed carry of firearms in public, stand your ground laws, and eliminating prohibition of guns. Like the CCFR, the Conservative Party is refusing to place new restrictions on access to guns and is promising to repeal Bill C-71, legislation that improves background checks, among other modest changes.
In September, CDPG sent a questionnaire to all major national party leaders. Our organization welcomed the thoughtful answers to our questions from the Liberal, New Democratic, and Green parties. The Conservative Party did not respond. Included among the questions was whether the proliferation of assault weapons and handguns should be considered a public health threat; if Canada should take a harm reduction approach to guns; and if leaders would denounce the repeated personal attacks on our members by the CCFR. On these points, all parties who responded agreed.
We are pleased with the Liberal Party’s commitment to a national assault weapons ban, and an overall gun control plan that is progressive, specific, and actionable. Further highlights from the Liberal, NDP, and Green Party responses to our questionnaire can be read at www.doctorsforprotectionfromguns.ca.
Members of CDPG see the increasing devastation caused by guns on our patients; our communities suffer the impacts for years; and our public health care system bears the weight of preventable harm. Since launching its campaign to bring a public health focus to gun control policy, CDPG has collected a wide body of evidence supporting its position that restricting access to guns reduces gun injury and death, and that jurisdictions with stronger gun laws, including specific gun bans, have fewer gun homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings. Our organization’s call for a substantive public policy response to address this issue has been endorsed by 13 prominent medical associations as well as the National Council of Women of Canada. We stand with the large majority of Canadians calling for more action on gun control, now.
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About Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide. For more information please visit www.canadiandoctorsforprotectionfromguns.ca.
For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting
For Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767/ christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
The following are highlights from the Liberal, NDP, and Green Party responses to our questionnaire:
Liberal Party
Ban assault weapons and attachments which increase lethality; launch buyback program
Give cities the power to ban handguns
Change “the way firearms are advertised, marketed, and sold in Canada”
Red flag law
Support for youth at risk and a poverty reduction strategy
Add mental health services to Canada Health Act
Flag bulk purchases of guns
Strengthen safe storage laws
Ensure police resources and strengthen penalties for gun smuggling
Require everyone importing ammunition to show proof of a valid firearms license
New Democratic Party
The “removal of assault military weapons from our cities”
Support allowing cities to ban handguns
Support a harm reduction approach to guns
Policies to address poverty, racism, and other social determinants of violence
More focused resources to prevent the illegal smuggling of guns
Green Party
New measures to reduce gun smuggling
Launch a confidential buyback program for handguns and assault weapons
Review options for secure central storage
Review the banning of instruments or attachments which increase the lethality of weapons
Support a harm reduction policy improve access to affordable housing, implement a guaranteed liveable income,
create a universal childcare program
For immediate release
Former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, novelist Margaret Atwood, among prominent Canadian writers calling on party leaders to endorse a ban on assault weapons and handguns
Signatories to letter support campaign of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns and denounce gun lobby rhetoric
Toronto, October 9, 2019 – Canadian authors Margaret Atwood, Charlotte Gray, Michael Ondaatje, and Dr. Vincent Lam, as well as former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson are among the signatories of an open letter to party leaders being released today backing Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns’ campaign for a ban on assault weapons and handguns. With the federal election less than two weeks away, the intervention of nearly 20 prominent writers adds to a growing public demand for Canada’s next government to stand up to the gun lobby and implement significant new gun control measures.
From the letter, the full text of which can be found below:
“When it comes to creating public policy on guns, governments must weigh private privilege and industry profit against the far greater importance of public health and community well-being....Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is calling for a ban on assault weapons and handguns as part of a comprehensive legal and social policy approach to addressing the public health impacts of guns. The signatories of this letter support their call to action. We ask you to join us and commit to moving quickly on the doctors’ recommendations, including the ban.”
Members of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns see the increasing devastation caused by guns on our patients; our communities suffer the impacts for years; and our public health care system bears the weight of preventable harm. The organization has called for a comprehensive public policy response, including addressing social determinants, reducing the illegal sale of guns and the importation of firearms from other jurisdictions, and measures to restrict access to guns.
A wide body of evidence supports the position of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, as demonstrated by a thorough reference list with more than 150 citations of international scientific literature, peer-reviewed research papers, and publications from leading medical journals, available on our website.
“The evidence is incontrovertible: restricting access to guns will make our communities safer,” said Dr, Najma Ahmed, trauma surgeon and co-founder of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns. “We are thrilled to have the support of so many acclaimed Canadian writers in our campaign for stronger gun control policy.”
The letter comes one week after the launch of a national, pro bono advertising campaign to warn Canadians that the proliferation of assault weapons and handguns represents a public health threat – www.notbulletproof.ca/ www.paspareballes.ca. Over the past 15 years the number of such weapons in Canada has grown dramatically and it Is now time for political leaders to act.
About Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide. For more information please visit www.canadiandoctorsforprotectionfromguns.ca.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting
For Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767
christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
The Canadian Way – Saying yes to Doctors’ call for a ban on assault weapons and handguns
Dear Justin Trudeau, Andrew Scheer, Jagmeet Singh, Elizabeth May, Yves-François Blanchet:
Canada is a country of reason and civility, peace and the common good.
When it comes to creating public policy on guns, governments must weigh private privilege and industry profit against the far greater importance of public health and community well-being.
Physicians with Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns have witnessed firsthand the devastating physical and emotional trauma wrought by guns, from gender-based violence to suicide, homicide to accidental shootings of children. One of its founders, trauma surgeon Dr. Najma Ahmed, was on call the night of the mass shooting in the Danforth neighbourhood of Toronto.
The physicians point to a wide body of international research that makes three things very clear. 1. Death and injury by guns is a preventable public health issue. 2. Countries and jurisdictions with stronger gun laws have less gun injury and death. 3. Canada does not fare well compared to our peer nations of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development on proliferation of guns and firearm mortality.
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is calling for a ban on assault weapons and handguns as part of a comprehensive legal and social policy approach to addressing the public health impacts of guns. The signatories of this letter support their call to action. We ask you to join us and commit to moving quickly on the doctors’ recommendations, including the ban.
Since launching their campaign, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns has been endorsed by more than a dozen prominent medical associations and women’s organizations and supported by doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other health professionals from across the country.
Yet the campaign has also drawn the vitriolic ire of Canadian gun lobby groups who have engaged in online campaigns of harassment, launched frivolous complaints to the country’s largest professional regulatory college, and released a disturbing video warning that doctors will “own” responsibility for children being shot and killed if a handgun and assault weapons ban is implemented. On April 12th, the CEO of one of the groups compared a gun control advocate working with the doctors to lead Nazi propogandist Joseph Goebbels.
This is the discourse and tactics of the National Rifle Association in the United States. We have seen where that path can lead. Our history, culture, and politics are very different in Canada, yet we cannot be complacent. Our leaders must clearly state the gun lobby approach is not welcome here.
We need a made in Canada solution to gun policy. The security and well-being of our families and communities depend on it. Support a ban on handguns and assault weapons.
Sincerely,
Signatures
Angie Abdou
Margaret Atwood
Dennis Bock
Cathy Buchanan
Adrienne Clarkson
Andrew Davidson
Graeme Gibson
Don Gillmor
Charlotte Gray
Rawi Hage
Elizabeth Hay
Vincent Lam
Linden McIntyre
Michael Ondaatje
Michael Redhill
Linda Spalding.
Madeleine Thien
Alissa York
For immediate release
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns launches #NotBulletproof campaign to alert Canadians to harm posed by proliferation of semi-automatic weapons
Group also releases extensive new reference list backing call for stronger gun laws
Toronto, October 2, 2019 – Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is launching a new national advertising campaign to warn Canadians that the proliferation of semi-automatic guns in this country represents a public health threat – www.notbulletproof.ca/ www.paspareballes.ca. Over the past 15 years the number of semi-automatic weapons in Canada has grown dramatically and it Is now time for political leaders to act.
“The evidence is incontrovertible: restricting access to guns, including semi-automatic weapons, will make our communities safer,” said Dr, Najma Ahmed, trauma surgeon and co-founder of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns. “One need only look to the United States to see the drastic consequences of failing to keep these weapons out of our communities.”
Members of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns see the increasing devastation caused by guns on our patients; our communities suffer the impacts for years; and our public health care system bears the weight of preventable harm. The organization has called for a comprehensive public policy response, including addressing social determinants, reducing the illegal sale of guns and the importation of firearms from other jurisdictions, and measures to restrict access to guns.
A wide body of evidence supports the position of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, as demonstrated by the thorough reference list being released today, with more than 150 citations of international scientific literature, peer-reviewed research papers, and publications from leading medical journals.
Canadians Doctors for Protection from Guns is assisted in this campaign by national advertising firm Anderson DDB Health and Lifestyle, which graciously produced the advertising creative pro bono as part of its commitment to community well-being.
“We are pleased to be able to support Canadians Doctors for Protection from Guns in their important work to keep our communities safe,” said Anderson DDB Health & Lifestyle President and CEO Kevin Brady. “The team at Anderson DDB Health & Lifestyle was energized by this work and we believe this creative campaign is impactful and will wake Canadians up to the threat posed by semi-automatic weapons.”
The campaign will begin rolling out digitally today and in print and broadcast over the next week. The campaign is timed to engage Canadians as they consider gun control during the current federal election.
“With the concerning rise of hate groups in Canada coupled with the gun lobby’s inflammatory rhetoric it would seem that reducing access to semi-automatic weapons will undoubtedly lessen the tragic consequences of violent acts,” said Dr. Alan Drummond, Rural Emergency Physician and Executive Member of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns.
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns has written all political parties asking for their positions on various elements of laws and policies to keep Canadians safe from guns, including whether they support a ban on handguns and assault weapons, or semi-automatic weapons. The #NotBulletproof campaign invites Canadians to contact their local political candidates to encourage the same. With more than 80% of Canadians wanting stronger gun control laws, now is the time move forward.
“For too long Canadians have had to listen to the misleading, vituperative rhetoric of the gun industry lobby,” said Dr. Philip Berger, Associate Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto and Senior Advisor to Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns. “It is time Canadians hear the truth. More guns equals more injury and death. It is time for our political leaders to act with courage and ban civilian ownership of semi-automatic weapons in Canada.”
About Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide. For more information please visit www.canadiandoctorsforprotectionfromguns.ca
About Anderson DDB Health & Lifestyle
We are North America’s leading health and lifestyle agency with award-winning work that spans the globe. For over 40 years, we’ve worked with consumer and healthcare companies to develop smart, insightful, influential campaigns that make a difference in the lives of consumers. With roots in consumer marketing, we bring that same methodology and understanding to all our communications.
Our goal is to turn our clients' passions and objectives into meaningful work that impacts patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals everywhere. Anderson DDB Health & Lifestyle has a long-standing tradition of donating marketing services to wide variety of causes that resonate with agency staff.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting
For Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767
christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
For immediate release
Toronto, ON, September 20, 2019
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns welcomes Liberal Party proposal to ban assault weapons and restrict access to guns
Group calls on all political parties to endorse stronger gun laws and denounce NRA-style rhetoric and tactics of the gun lobby
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns welcomes the Liberal Party’s campaign platform announcement today, particularly the proposal to ban assault weapons. The evidence clearly shows restricting access to guns, and assault weapons in particular, reduces injury and death by firearm.
Members of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns see the devastation caused by guns on our patients, our communities suffer the impacts for years, and our public health care system bears the weight of preventable harm. With more than 80% of Canadians wanting stronger gun laws to restrict access to guns, now is the time move forward.
Our organization is also in support of measures to flag owners of firearms who may be deemed a risk to themselves or their families. Approximately 80% of gun deaths are suicides and firearms are the most common method used in the killing of women and girls according to the Canadian Femicide Observatory.
The proposal to restrict access to handguns may have good intentions but is not the most effective measure available. As we have seen from the US, regionalized gun laws are insufficient in protecting people from injury and death. We strongly encourage a national ban on handguns.
New rules on the storage of firearms and the purchase of ammunition are also welcomed.
Earlier this week, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns wrote all political parties asking for their positions on various elements of laws and policies to keep Canadians safe from guns. We have also specifically requested parties denounce the rhetoric and tactics of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights that is so harmful to having a respectful, evidence-based discussion on gun control. In addition to the mass filing of vexatious complaints to the professional college of Dr. Najma Ahmed, ultimately dismissed for appearing to be an abuse of process, the group has claimed the following:
- the CDPG advocacy campaign could result in children being shot and killed by police officers, and doctors would “own” responsibility for it - https://tinyurl.com/y2wkgext
- doctors involved in the campaign are "stepping on the throats" of people who own guns and trying to "discriminate" and "hurt" gun owners after hours - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRV1U83em30&feature=youtu.be.
- “doctors will lie to you as easily as they breathe...we are going after them next" referring to medical associations endorsing CDPG - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlc_guXfJCU
- a consultant to CDPG is “as bad a person” as lead Nazi propogandist Joseph Goebbels - https://twitter.com/KeegParty/status/1117683971473563648
Canadian political leaders must distance themselves from this NRA-style rhetoric and tactics. In the interim, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns will continue to advocate for further restrictions on access to guns in our society to make our homes and communities safer.
About Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide. For more information please visit www.canadiandoctorsforprotectionfromguns.ca.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting
For Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767
christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
For immediate release
Toronto, ON, September 4 2019
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns calls on Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board to divest from American handgun and assault weapons manufacturers
In response to news that an upcoming report from Corporate Knights will reveal the Canadian Pension Plan includes holdings in American handgun and assault weapon manufacturers, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is calling on the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) to end these relationships. As the CPPIB regards "responsible investing simply as intelligent long-term investing" it must take immediate steps to divest from the big gun industry. An industry that profits from injury and death and fear and weak gun laws do not meet the definition of responsible investing.
Our members see the devastation caused by guns on our patients, our communities suffer the impacts for years, and our public health care system bears the weight of preventable harm. With more than 80% of Canadians wanting stronger gun laws to restrict access to guns, our public pension plan should not be operating counter to this interest. We would be pleased to meet with the CPPIB Board to discuss the public health impacts of guns.
About Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting
For Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767 / christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
For immediate release
Following another chaotic shooting incident in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to act now on guns
Toronto, ON, June 19, 2019 – Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to take decisive action to protect the health and well-being of Canadians following a chaotic shooting incident in Toronto that for many, marred a tremendous public celebration of the Toronto Raptors championship basketball team. Doctors and other health care workers at the downtown Toronto hospital nearest the shooting treated not only the direct victims of gunfire, but injured children, pregnant women in distress, and those suffering from emotional shock.
“Monday’s near mass tragedy is a direct result of the proliferation of guns in our society,” said Dr. Najma Ahmed, co-Chair of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns and a trauma surgeon at St, Michael’s Hospital. “The Prime Minister needs to act now on handguns and assault weapons before another event happens.”
The Canadian experience tells us shooting events such as the one that occurred Monday in Toronto are not limited to big cities. Moncton, La Loche, Fredericton, and Quebec City have all been sites of mass shootings. We also know the type of guns used vary – and they can be legally obtained or illegally obtained. The perpetrators and motivations change. The common denominator is always the gun.
The proliferation of guns represents a growing public health threat. Statistics Canada reports that firearm-related violent crime has increased 42% since 2013. Canada has the 5th highest rate of age adjusted, standardized firearm mortality among 23 peer countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (Journal of the American Medical Association, 2018). Women and girls are particularly vulnerable. Shooting was the most common method of their killing in 2018 at 34% according to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability.
“Guns inflict psychological trauma and an emotional toll that lasts well after physical wounds have healed and impacts communities of people beyond direct victims,” said Dr. Julie Maggi, Executive member of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns and a Psychiatrist at St. Michael’s Hospital. “Comprehensive action on guns must be a public health priority.”
Missing in calls to restrict gun bans to cities is the reality that gun violence, per capita, is higher in rural Canada than urban. Further, 75% of gun deaths are suicides – a crisis that knows no municipal boundaries. Nor can femicide or accidental shootings be considered distinct geographic phenomena.
Polls consistently show tremendous public support from all parts of the country for a ban on handguns and assault weapons. Such measures are also strongly supported by medical research which consistently shows a clear correlation between restrictions on access to guns and improved public health and safety.
“Election promises are nice, but Canadians need action now,” said Dr. Philip Berger, senior adviser to Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns and Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. “While the gun industry lobby continues to spread false information in its hurry to sell more guns, the public health of Canadians remains at risk. The Prime Minister witnessed first-hand the impact of guns on the public. He cannot maintain his government’s inadequate compromise on effective gun control legislation.”
More than 1,000 health professionals and medical students in 16 cities participated in a National Day of Action on April 3rd in support of Bill C-71 and a ban on assault weapons and handguns. In April, the Canadian Medical Association Journal endorsed advocating for a public health approach to guns. The medical community is broadly united on this issue and Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns intends to ensure gun control is an issue in the upcoming federal election through a variety of campaign interventions.
“Stronger gun laws hurt no one, and they will save countless lives,” said Dr. Ahmed. “Those who wish to lead must put public health and well-being first.”
About Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting
For Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767
christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
May 28, 2019 - Statement by Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
A good day for public health and safety as the Senate passes Bill C-71
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns welcomes the passing of Bill C-71 by Senators this evening. This is legislation that will make our families and our communities safer. Bill C-71, An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms, is supported by clear and compelling evidence linking restrictions on access to guns with improved public health outcomes.
We wish to thank the Bill’s sponsor in the Senate, Senator Andre Pratte, and Ministers Ralph Goodale and Bill Blair for their advocacy for this legislation. There is widespread support for Bill C-71 within the medical community. A dozen prominent medical associations have endorsed our call for stronger gun laws. More than 1,000 health professionals and medical students in 16 cities participated in a National Day of Action on April 3rd in support of Bill C-71 and a ban on assault weapons and handguns. The Bill is also supported by a large majority of Canadians according to a Leger opinion poll from April 26th.
We recognize it takes political courage to overcome the kind of misinformation and harmful rhetoric being spread by those who purport to speak on behalf of Canadian hunters and gun owners. We thank the Senators, and previously, Members of Parliament, who supported this Bill for their commitment to reason and the public good.
The key components of Bill C-71 = better record keeping requirements for gun retailers, stronger background checks, and tighter regulations around transporting a gun – are modest but important changes that will lessen the risk of preventable gun injury and death and make Canadians safer.
The proliferation of guns represents a growing public health threat. Statistics Canada reports that firearm-related violent crime has increased 42% since 2013. Canada has the 5th highest rate of age adjusted, standardized firearm mortality among 23 peer countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (Journal of the American Medical Association, 2018). Women and girls are particularly vulnerable. Shooting was the most common method of their killing in 2018 at 34% according to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability. A 2018 position statement by the Canadian Pediatric Society states that guns should not be kept in environments where children live or play. Suicide is preventable death; 75% of gun deaths are suicides and nearly 15% of adolescent suicides in Canada are by gun.
Today’s vote is a solid step in the right direction. Now we must continue to take measures – including a ban on handguns and assault weapons – that will strengthen public health and safety. There is no time to lose.
About Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting
For Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767
christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
Media Advisory
Media Advisory
Attention: Assignment desks, health, and crime/ justice reporters
Doctors and health professionals in 13 cities across the country to join in a National Day of Action on April 3rd to call for stronger gun laws in Canada
As first-hand witnesses to the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns, doctors and other health professionals are coming together to call for a public health focus to the debate around guns and a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities. Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is holding a national Day of Action on April 3rd in 13 cities across the country, from coast to coast, in large centres and smaller communities, call for stronger gun laws. Specifically, the grassroots group, comprised of trauma surgeons, emergency room physicians, paediatricians, psychologists and nurses, paramedics and other health professionals is urging the federal government to pass Bill C-71, An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms, and to implement a handgun and assault weapons ban.
Guns represent a growing public health threat. Statistics Canada reports that firearm-related violent crime has increased 42% since 2013, and Canada has the 5th highest rate of firearm mortality among 23 countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (Annals of Surgery, 2018). Women and girls are particularly vulnerable. Shooting was the most common method of their killing in 2018 at 34% according to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability. There is an increased risk of suicide when guns are accessible as noted in a 2018 statement by the Canadian Pediatric Society.
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns has concluded that we must treat gun related injury and death the way we treat other public health issues, such as smoking and road safety. The group looks forward to working with governments, health and legal stakeholders, and all concerned Canadians to respond to this urgent public health crisis.
National Day of Action Events – April 3rd
Toronto: Noon. Rally. United Church Grounds. Queen St. East and Bond St.
Montréal: 11 am. Montréal General Hospital. Livingston Hall 6th Floor; 12:30 March to McGill University Medical School.
Calgary: Noon. Rally. 29th St. and 16th Ave. NW.
Edmonton: Noon. Northeast Corner of Garneau Park, 109th St. and 84th Ave.
Vancouver: Noon. March. St. Paul's Hospital. 1081 Burrard St.
Ottawa: Noon. Rally. Wellington Street in front of Parliament; Press Conference 1:30, 135-B Press Conference Room
Kingston: Noon. information session and march. Queen’s Medical School, 15 Arch St.
Barrie/Midhurst: 3 pm. Discussion forum. Midhurst United Church, 90 Doran Rd.
Halifax: 11 am. Information Session. IWK Health Centre. Noon. Letter mailing to the Prime Minister.
St. John's: Noon. Rally. Clock Tower, Student Centre, Memorial University.
London: Letter mailing to the Prime Minister. London Health Science Centre to Canada Post, A-387 Wellington Rd.
Ajax: Noon. Letter writing campaign to the Prime Minister.
Winnipeg: Noon. Letter writing campaign to the Prime Minister.
More to come.
Further information is available at: www.doctorsforprotectionfromguns.ca.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Consultant for Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767/ christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
For immediate release – Toronto, March 22nd, 2019
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns calls for urgent action by Prime Minister Trudeau to ban assault weapons
With the world galvanized by the swift and courageous decision by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to ban assault weapons in response to the horrific mass shooting at Christchurch mosque, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to seize the moment and implement a similar ban here.
Last week’s shooting left 50 people dead and many more people remain in hospital in serious condition. The assault weapon used in the attack in New Zealand is similar to the one used in the mass shooting at the Islamic Cultural Centre in Quebec City two years ago. These types of guns can, and do, cause maximum death and horrible injury to many, many people within minutes. They are a threat to the health and well-being of our communities. Yet tragedies created from assault weapons and other guns are preventable with strict legislation.
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns was founded by physicians with firsthand experience treating the victims of gun trauma. We applaud the New Zealand government’s announcement yesterday declaring “all military style semi-automatics (MSSAs) and assault rifles” as well as “related parts used to convert these guns into MSSAs” will be banned, along with “all high-capacity magazines”.
These policy measures are further evidence the global discourse on guns is changing. Last month, the US House of Representatives passed its first major gun control measure in more than 20 years. In Canada. 81% of respondents to a 2018 Environics survey supported a ban on assault weapons. Nine leading Canadian medical organizations have endorsed the CDPG position statement which includes a call for more restrictions on guns.
In spite of the evidence, tragic examples, and public support, the gun industry lobby continues to push for weaker, not stronger gun laws. While Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Bill Blair is expected to table his recommendations to the Prime Minister soon, there is a renewed urgency in implementing a ban on assault weapons.
Canada can demonstrate solidarity with the people of New Zealand while reminding the world we are a country that puts public safety over private interest. Prime Minister Trudeau should seize this moment.
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns will be bringing its call for a ban on assault weapons to the streets as part of a planned National Day of Action on April 3rd. Physicians in at least a dozen cities from coast to coast are organizing rallies, marches, and information sessions to call for change. Details on local events will be announced in the coming days.
About us
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide. Please visit www.doctorsforprotectionfromguns.ca for more information.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Principal, Empower Consulting
416-996-0767
christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
Concerned with growing public health crisis of guns, doctors launch new campaign to fight for stronger laws
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns to hold a National Day of Action on April 3rd
Toronto, February 11th, 2019 – Frequently confronted with the devastation wrought by guns on their patients and communities, doctors from across the country are launching a new organization today to advocate for a comprehensive public policy response. Canadian Doctors for the Protection from Guns (CDPG) is specifically calling for swift passage of Bill C-71, An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms, and a ban on handguns and assault weapons.
"It is time to reframe the debate about guns in Canada and look at firearm related injuries and deaths through a public health lens,” said Dr. Najma Ahmed, Co-Chair of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns and a trauma surgeon at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. “Death and injury by firearms are preventable tragedies. We are calling on policy makers to demonstrate courage and take decisive action to protect the safety of Canadians.”
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is a grassroots group composed of family doctors, emergency room physicians, trauma surgeons, and psychiatrists collaborating with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, counsellors and many other front-line health care professionals. Its position statement has already been endorsed by seven leading Canadian medical societies and the group has been invited to appear before the Senate’s Standing Committee on National Security and Defence studying Bill C-71 on February 18th at 7:00 pm. On April 3rd, CDPG will hold a National Day of Action in cities, towns, and communities across the country to call for stronger gun control laws
“The impact of guns is not limited to the kinds of violent incidents we learn about in the news,” said Dr. Lynn Wilson, Co-Chair of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns as well as a family physician and Vice Dean at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine. “Our professional experiences with victims of guns includes operating on children dying from accidental gunshots, holding the hands of domestic violence victims shot by their abusers, and counseling the families of people who have taken their own lives by gun.”
Guns represent a growing public health threat. Statistics Canada reports that firearm-related violent crime has increased 42% since 2013, and Canada has the 5th highest rate of firearm mortality among 23 countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (Annals of Surgery, 2018). Women and girls are particularly vulnerable. Shooting was the most common method of their killing in 2018 at 34% according to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability. There is an increased risk of suicide when guns are accessible as noted in a 2018 statement by the Canadian Pediatric Society.
Of course, numbers do not tell the full story.
“The physical and psychological scars on victims, families, and communities far outlast the initial gunshot,” said Jacinthe Lampron, trauma surgeon and Medical Trauma Director at the Ottawa Hospital. “Doctors and nurses treating preventable gun injuries diverts much needed public health resources from other emergency care services. Trauma from gun injuries also results in chronic illness, both physical and psychological.”
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns has concluded that we must treat gun related injury and death the way we treat other public health issues, such as smoking and road safety. The group looks forward to working with governments, health and legal stakeholders, and all concerned Canadians to respond to this urgent public health crisis.
“We know the pro-gun lobby is going to try and muddy the issue,” added Dr. Alan Drummond, a rural emergency physician in Perth, Ontario. “But our expertise – and our professional responsibility – is in the protection of public health. We are therefore compelled to act.”
The following physicians are available for interview:
Dr. Najma Ahmed, Co-Chair of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, and trauma surgeon at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto
Dr. Philip Berger, Associate Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto
Dr. Jacinthe Lampron, trauma surgeon and Medical Trauma Director at the Ottawa Hospital
Dr. Alan Drummond, rural emergency physician in Perth, Ontario
Dr. Andrew Beckett, trauma surgeon at the Montreal General Hospital
Dr. Natasha Saunders, paediatrician and Clinician-Investigator, at The Hospital for Sick Children Toronto
Dr. Julie Maggi, Psychiatrist, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto
About us
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide.
Please visit www,doctorsforprotectionfromguns.ca for more information.
For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Principal, Empower Consulting
416-996-0767
christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
fédération des femmes médecins au canada
FIREARM LEGISLATION & GENERAL REFERENCES
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- Household Gun Ownership and Youth Suicide Rates at the State Level, 2005–2015 -https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(18)32383-3/fulltext
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- John J. Donohue & Abhay Aneja & Kyle D. Weber, 2019. "Right‐to‐Carry Laws and Violent Crime: A Comprehensive Assessment Using Panel Data and a State‐Level Synthetic Control Analysis," Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, vol 16(2), pages 198-247.
- Editorial: Reasonable control: gun registration in Canada. CMAJ February 18, 2003 168 (4) 389;
- DiMaggio C, Avraham J, Berry C, Bukur M, Feldman J, Klein M, Shah N, Tandon M, Frangos S. Changes in US mass shooting deaths associated with the 1994-2004 federal assault weapons ban: Analysis of open-source data. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2019 Jan;86(1):11-19. doi: 10.1097/TA.0000000000002060.
- Copps, S. Time has come for Liberals to get a spine on guns in Canada. The Hill Times August 12, 2019. https://www.hilltimes.com/2019/08/12/211057/211057
- Gomez D, Haas B, Ahmed N, Tien H, Nathens A. Disaster preparedness of Canadian trauma centres: the perspective of medical directors of trauma. Can J Surg. 2011 Feb;54(1):9-16.
- Zhang T, Qin Y. The Economic Impact of Firearm-related Crime in Canada, 2008. https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/csj-sjc/crime/rr13_7/rr13_7.pdf
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- Anglemyer A, Beautrais A. Political Response to Firearm Violence Resulting in Mass Casualties in New Zealand and the United States: Worlds Apart. Ann Intern Med. 2019 Sep 3;171(5):364-365. doi: 10.7326/M19-1567. Epub 2019 Aug 13.
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- The Lancet. Reaching critical mass on mass shootings. Lancet. 2019 Aug 17;394(10198):541. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31938-5
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- Reasonable control: Gun Registration in Canada, CMAJ, 2003
- Stewart R, Kuhls D, Rotondo M, Bulger E. Freedom with Responsibility: A Consensus Strategy for Preventing Injury, Death and Disability from Firearm Violence, JACS, April 2018
- gunpolicy.org. gunpolicy.org 2019 [Available from: https://www.gunpolicy.org/.
- Sen B, Panjamapirom A. State background checks for gun purchase and firearm deaths: an exploratory study. Preventive medicine. 2012;55(4):346-50.
- Chapman S, Alpers P, Agho K, Jones M. Australia's 1996 gun law reforms: faster falls in firearm deaths, firearm suicides, and a decade without mass shootings. Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention. 2006;12(6):365-72.
- Chapman S, Alpers P, Jones M. Association Between Gun Law Reforms and Intentional Firearm Deaths in Australia, 1979-2013. Jama. 2016;316(3):291-9.
- Hemenway D, Nolan EP. The scientific agreement on firearm issues. Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention. 2017;23(4):221-5.
- Resnick S, Smith RN, Beard JH, Holena D, Reilly PM, Schwab CW, et al. Firearm Deaths in America: Can We Learn From 462,000 Lives Lost? Ann Surg. 2017;266(3):432-40.
- Ozanne-Smith J, Ashby K, Newstead S, Stathakis VZ, Clapperton A. Firearm related deaths: the impact of regulatory reform. Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention. 2004;10(5):280-6.
HOMICIDE & SUICIDE
- Homicide in Canada, 2017 – https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2018001/article/54980-eng.html
- Temlett J, Byard RW. Homicide among Indigenous South Australians: a forty-year study (1969-2008). J Forensic Leg Med. 2012 Nov;19(8):445-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jflm.2011.12.027. Epub 2012 Jan 14.
- Suicide and Suicidal Behavior - https://academic.oup.com/epirev/article/30/1/133/621357?searchresult=1
- Change in suicide rates in Switzerland before and after firearm restriction resulting from the 2003 "Army XXI" reform - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23897090
- Sinyor, M., Williams, M., Vincent, M., & Schaffer, A. (2019, February 28). What Are We Aiming For? Comparing Suicide by Firearm in Toronto With the Five Largest Metropolitan Areas in the United States. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000572
- Zalsman G, Hawton K, Wasserman D, van Heeringen K, Arensman E, Sarchiapone M, Carli V, Höschl C, Barzilay R, Balazs J, Purebl G, Kahn JP, Sáiz PA, Lipsicas CB, Bobes J, Cozman D, Hegerl U, Zohar J: Suicide prevention strategies revisited: 10-year systematic Review Lancet Psychiatry 2016; 3: 646–59 Published Online June 8, 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30030-X
- Kaufman EJ, Morrison CN, Branas CC, Wiebe DJ: State Firearm Laws and Interstate Firearm Deaths From Homicide and Suicide in the United States A Cross-sectional Analysis of Data by County. Jama International Medicine JAMA Intern Med. 2018;178(5):692-700. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.0190 Published online March 5, 2018. Corrected on March 12, 2018.
- Barber, C, Frank E., Demicco, R. Reducing Suicides Through Partnerships Between Health Professionals and Gun Owner Groups – Beyond Docs vs Glocks Jama Internal Medicine, January 2017, Volume 177, Number 1, pg. 5-6
- Kposowa,A , Hamilton, D, Wang, K. Impact of Firearm Availability and Gun Regulation on State Suicide Rates. The Official Journal of The American Association of Suicidology, Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 46 (6) December 2016, p. 678 -696.
- To KB1, Kamdar NS2, Patil P3, Collins SD4, Seese E4, Krapohl GL4, Campbell DS Jr4, Englesbe MJ5, Hemmila MR3, Napolitano LM3; Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative (MSQC) Emergency General Surgery Study Group and the MSQC Research Advisory Group. Acute Care Surgery Model and Outcomes in Emergency General Surgery. J Am Coll Surg. 2019 Jan;228(1):21-28.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2018.07.664. Epub 2018 Oct 22.
- CAEP Position Statement on Gun Control – https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/canadian-journal-of-emergency medicine/article/caep-position-statement-on-gun%20control/58A3F96DD9C7255585009B9AAD124894
- Clarke VA, Frankish CJ, Green LW. Understanding suicide among indigenous adolescents: a review using the PRECEDE model. Inj Prev. 1997 Jun;3(2):126-34.
- Lester D, Leenaars A. Suicide rates in Canada before and after tightening firearm control laws. Psychological reports. 1993;72(3 Pt 1):787-90.
- Gilmour S, Wattanakamolkul K, Sugai MK. The Effect of the Australian National Firearms Agreement on Suicide and Homicide Mortality, 1978-2015. American journal of public health. 2018;108(11):1511-6.
- Thoeni N, Reisch T, Hemmer A, Bartsch C. Suicide by firearm in Switzerland: who uses the army weapon? Results from the national survey between 2000 and 2010. Swiss medical weekly. 2018;148:w14646.
- Reisch T, Steffen T, Habenstein A, Tschacher W. Change in suicide rates in Switzerland before and after firearm restriction resulting from the 2003 "Army XXI" reform. The American journal of psychiatry. 2013;170(9):977-84.
- Miller M, Hemenway D. Guns and suicide in the United States. (1533-4406 (Electronic)).
- Miller M, Barber C, White RA, Azrael D. Firearms and suicide in the United States: is risk independent of underlying suicidal behavior? American journal of epidemiology. 2013;178(6):946-55.
- Lubin G, Werbeloff N, Halperin D, Shmushkevitch M, Weiser M, Knobler HY. Decrease in suicide rates after a change of policy reducing access to firearms in adolescents: a naturalistic epidemiological study. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2010 Oct;40(5):421-4. doi: 10.1521/suli.2010.40.5.421.
- Reisch T, Steffen T, Habenstein A, Tschacher W. Change in suicide rates in Switzerland before and after firearm restriction resulting from the 2003 “Army XXI” reform. Am J Psychiatry. 2013 Sep;170(9):977-84. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.12091256
- Miller M, Azarel D, Hemenway D. Firearm Availability and Unintentional Firearm Deaths, Suicide and Homicide among 5-14 Year olds, Journal of Trauma 2002.
- Saunders N, Lebenbaum M, Stukel T, Lu H, Uriqia M, Kurdyak P, Guttmann A. Suicide and self-harm trends in recent immigrant youth in Ontario, 1996 – 2012: a population based longitudinal cohort study, BMJ Open, 2017
- Kaufman E, Morrison C, Branas C, Wiebe D. State Firearm Laws and Interstate Firearm Deaths from Homicide and Suicide in the United States, A Cross-sectional Analysis of Data by County, JAMA Intern Med, 2018
- Miller M, Azrael D, Hemenway D. Household firearm ownership and suicide rates in the United States. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass). 2002;13(5):517-24.
- Miller M, Azrael D, Hemenway D. Firearm availability and unintentional firearm deaths, suicide, and homicide among 5-14 year olds. The Journal of trauma. 2002;52(2):267-74; discussion 74-5.
- Hemenway D. Comparing gun-owning vs non-owning households in terms of firearm and non-firearm suicide and suicide attempts. Preventive medicine. 2019;119:14-6.
- Bryan CJ, Clemans TA. Suicides among military personnel. (1538-3598 (Electronic)).
- Leenaars AA, Moksony F, Lester D, Wenckstern S. The impact of gun control (Bill C-51) on suicide in Canada. Death studies. 2003;27(2):103-24.
- Carrington PJ, Moyer S. Gun control and suicide in Ontario. The American journal of psychiatry. 1994;151(4):606-8.
- Leenaars AA, Lester D. The impact of gun control on suicide and homicide across the life span. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement. 1997;29(1):1-6.
- Leenaars AA, Lester D. Gender and the impact of gun control on suicide and homicide. Archives of Suicide Research. 1996;2(4):223-34.
- Bridges FS. Gun control law (Bill C-17), suicide, and homicide in Canada. Psychological reports. 2004;94(3 Pt 1):819-26.
- Caron J. Gun control and suicide: possible impact of Canadian legislation to ensure safe storage of firearms. Archives of suicide research: official journal of the International Academy for Suicide Research. 2004;8(4):361-74.
- Caron J, Julien M, Huang JH. Changes in suicide methods in Quebec between 1987 and 2000: the possible impact of bill C-17 requiring safe storage of firearms. Suicide & life-threatening behavior. 2008;38(2):195-208.
- Gagne M, Robitaille Y, Hamel D, St-Laurent D. Firearms regulation and declining rates of male suicide in Quebec. Injury prevention: journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention. 2010;16(4):247-53.
- Ludwig J, Cook PJ. Homicide and suicide rates associated with implementation of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. Jama. 2000;284(5):585-91.
- Rodriguez Andres A, Hempstead K. Gun control and suicide: the impact of state firearm regulations in the United States, 1995-2004. Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands). 2011;101(1):95-103.
- Kellermann AL, Rivara FP, Somes G, Reay DT, Francisco J, Banton JG, et al. Suicide in the home in relation to gun ownership. The New England journal of medicine. 1992;327(7):467-72.
- Anestis MD, Anestis JC. Suicide Rates and State Laws Regulating Access and Exposure to Handguns. American journal of public health. 2015;105(10):2049-58.
- Anestis MD, Anestis JC, Butterworth SE. Handgun Legislation and Changes in Statewide Overall Suicide Rates. American journal of public health. 2017;107(4):579-81.
- Kagawa RMC, Castillo-Carniglia A, Vernick JS, Webster D, Crifasi C, Rudolph KE, et al. Repeal of Comprehensive Background Check Policies and Firearm Homicide and Suicide. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass). 2018;29(4):494-502.
- Alban RF, Nuno M, Ko A, Barmparas G, Lewis AV, Margulies DR. Weaker gun state laws are associated with higher rates of suicide secondary to firearms. The Journal of surgical research. 2018;221:135-42.
- Kaufman EJ, Morrison CN, Branas CC, Wiebe DJ. State Firearm Laws and Interstate Firearm Deaths From Homicide and Suicide in the United States: A Cross-sectional Analysis of Data by County. JAMA internal medicine. 2018;178(5):692-700.
- Kivisto AJ, Phalen PL. Effects of Risk-Based Firearm Seizure Laws in Connecticut and Indiana on Suicide Rates, 1981-2015. Psychiatric services (Washington, DC). 2018;69(8):855-62.
- Stockl H, Devries K, Rotstein A, Abrahams N, Campbell J, Watts C, et al. The global prevalence of intimate partner homicide: a systematic review. Lancet (London, England). 2013;382(9895):859-65.
- Canada S. Homicide in Canada, 2017. Statistics Canada; 2018 November 21, 2018.
- Kellermann AL, Rivara FP, Rushforth NB, Banton JG, Reay DT, Francisco JT, et al. Gun ownership as a risk factor for homicide in the home. The New England journal of medicine. 1993;329(15):1084-91.
- Konig D, Swoboda P, Cramer RJ, Krall C, Postuvan V, Kapusta ND. Austrian firearm
- legislation and its effects on suicide and homicide mortality: A natural quasi-experiment
- amidst the global economic crisis. European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists. 2018;52:104-12.
- 49. Canada H. Suicide in Canada 2019 [Available from: http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/publications/healthy-living-vie-saine/suicide-canada-infographic/alt/infographic-infographique-eng.pdf.
- Schears RS, M. Suicide Assessment and Disposition 2019 [Available from: https://www.reliasmedia.com/articles/143792-suicide-assessment-and-disposition
- R. Skinner MSM, MSc; J. Draca, BHSc; M. Frechette, MSc; J. Kaur, BHSc; C. Pearson, MA; W. Thompson, MSc. Suicide and self-inflicted injury hospitalizations in Canada (1979 to 2014/15) – HPCDP: Volume 36-11, November 2016 2016 (Available from: https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.36.11.02.)
- Department of Justice C. Firearms, Accidental Deaths, Suicides and Violent Crime: An Updated Review of the Literature with Special Reference to the Canadian Situation 1999 (Available from: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/csj-sjc/jsp-sjp/wd98_4-dt98_4/index.html.)
- Anglemyer A Fau - Horvath T, Horvath T Fau - Rutherford G, Rutherford G. The accessibility of firearms and risk for suicide and homicide victimization among household members: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (1539-3704 (Electronic)).
- Brent DA, Bridge J. Firearms Availability and Suicide: Evidence, Interventions, and Future
- Hemenway D. Risks and Benefits of a Gun in the Home. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2011;5(6):502-11
- Knopov A, Sherman RJ, Raifman JR, Larson E, Siegel MB. Household Gun Ownership and Youth
- Suicide Rates at the State Level, 2005-2015. American journal of preventive medicine. 2019;56(3):335-42.
- Miller M, Azrael D Fau - Hepburn L, Hepburn L Fau - Hemenway D, Hemenway D Fau - Lippmann
- SJ, Lippmann SJ. The association between changes in household firearm ownership and rates of suicide in the United States, 1981-2002. (1353-8047 (Print)).
- Wiebe DJ. Homicide and suicide risks associated with firearms in the home: a national case-control study.
- Bryan CJ, Bryan AO, Anestis MD, Khazem LR, Harris JA, May AM, et al. Firearm Availability and Storage Practices Among Military Personnel Who Have Thought About Suicide. JAMA network open. 2019;2(8):e199160-e.
- Fleegler EW, Lee LK, Monuteaux MC, Hemenway D, Mannix R. Firearm legislation and firearm-related fatalities in the United States. JAMA internal medicine. 2013;173(9):732-40.
VIOLENCE AND MENTAL HEALTH
- Heeke, C., Kampisiou, C., Niemeyer, H., & Knaevelsrud, C. (2017). A systematic review and meta-analysis of correlates of prolonged grief disorder in adults exposed to violent loss. European journal of psychotraumatology, 8(sup6), 1583524.
- Slovak, K., & Singer, M. (2001). Gun violence exposure and trauma among rural youth. Violence and Victims, 16(4), 389.
- Swanson, J. (2013). Mental illness and new gun law reforms: the promise and peril of crisis-driven policy. JAMA, 309(12), 1233-1234.
- Zinzow HM, Rheingold AA, Hawkins AO, Saunders BE, Kilpatrick DG. (2009). Losing a loved one to homicide: Prevalence and mental health correlates in a national sample of young adults. Journal of Traumatic Stress: Official Publication of The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, 22(1), 20-27.
- Appelbaum PS. (2013). Public safety, mental disorders, and guns. JAMA psychiatry, 70(6), 565-566.
- Pinals DA, Appelbaum PS, Bonnie R, Fisher CE, Gold LH, Lee LW. (2015). American Psychiatric Association: position statement on firearm access, acts of violence and the relationship to mental illness and mental health services. Behavioral sciences & the law, 33(2-3), 195-198.
- Simonetti JA, Mackelprang JL, Rowhani-Rahbar A, Zatzick D, Rivara FP. (2015). Psychiatric comorbidity, suicidality, and in-home firearm access among a nationally representative sample of adolescents. JAMA psychiatry, 72(2), 152-159.
- Shultz JM, Thoresen S, Flynn BW, Muschert GW, Shaw JA, Espinel Z, ... Cohen AM. (2014). Multiple vantage points on the mental health effects of mass shootings. Current psychiatry reports, 16(9), 469.
- Mozaffarian D, Hemenway D, Ludwig DS. (2013). Curbing gun violence: lessons from public health successes. JAMA, 309(6), 551-552.
- Bauchner H, Rivara R, Bonow R. Death by Gun Violence – A Public Health Crisis, JAMA 2019
- Naghavi M and the Global Burden of Disease 2016 Injury Collaboration, Global Mortality from Firearms JAMA Surgery 2018 https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-28-0001/2018001/article/00004-eng.htm
- Policy Statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Firearm-Related Injuries affecting the Pediatric Population, Pediatrics 2012
- Yanchar N, Beno S; the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians and the Trauma Association of Canada, Annals of Surgery, 2018
- Saunders N, Lee H, Macpherson A, Gauan J, Guttmann A, Risk of Firearm injuries among Children and youth of immigrant families, CMAJ, 2017
- Cunningham B, Walton M, Carter P, The Major Causes of Death in Children and Adolescent in the United States, NEJM 2018
- Sarani B, Hendrix C, Matecki M, Estroff J, Amdur R, Robinson RH, Shapiro G, Gondek S, Mitchell R, Smith R. Wounding Patterns Based upon Firearm type in Civilian Public Mass Shootings in the US. JACS 2019
- National Research Council 2005. Firearms and Violence: A Critical Review. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/10881.
- Hemenway D. Commentary: Easy home gun access and adolescent depression. Social science & medicine (1982). 2018;203:60-3.
- Castillo-Carniglia A, Kagawa RMC, Cerda M, Crifasi CK, Vernick JS, Webster DW, et al. California's comprehensive background check and misdemeanor violence prohibition policies and firearm mortality. Annals of epidemiology. 2019;30:50-6.
- Canada S. Family violence in Canada: A statistical profile, 2017. Statistics Canada; 2018 December 5, 2018.
- Fowler KA, Jack SPD, Lyons BH, Betz CJ, Petrosky E. Surveillance for Violent Deaths -National Violent Death Reporting System, 18 States, 2014. Morbidity and mortality weekly report Surveillance summaries (Washington, DC : 2002). 2018;67(2):1-36.
LITERATURE REVIEW FOR FEMICIDE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RELATED TO GUNS
- Zeoli AM, McCourt A, Buggs S, Frattaroli S, Lilley D, Webster DW. Analysis of the Strength of Legal Firearms Restrictions for Perpetrators of Domestic Violence and Their Associations With Intimate Partner Homicide. Am J Epidemiol. 2018 Jul 1;187(7):1449-1455. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwx362.
- Díez C, Kurland RP, Rothman EF, Bair-Merritt M, Fleegler E, Xuan Z, Galea S, Ross CS, Kalesan B, Goss KA, Siegel M. Intimate Partner Violence-Related Firearm Laws and Intimate Partner Homicide Rates in the United States, 1991 to 2015. Ann Intern Med. 2017 Oct 17;167(8):536-543. doi: 10.7326/M16-2849. Epub 2017 Sep 19.
- Zeoli AM, Malinski R, Turchan B. Risks and Targeted Interventions: Firearms in Intimate Partner Violence. Epidemiol Rev. 2016;38(1):125-39. doi: 10.1093/epirev/mxv007. Epub 2016 Jan 5.
- Zeoli AM, McCourt A, Buggs S, Frattaroli S, Lilley D, Webster DW. Analysis of the Strength of Legal Firearms Restrictions for Perpetrators of Domestic Violence and Their Associations With Intimate Partner Homicide. Am J Epidemiol. 2018 Nov 1;187(11):2365-2371. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwy174.
- Lee LK, Fleegler EW, Farrell C, Avakame E, Srinivasan S, Hemenway D, Monuteaux MC. Firearm Laws and Firearm Homicides: A Systematic Review. JAMA Intern Med. 2017 Jan 1;177(1):106-119. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.7051.
- Websdale N, Ferraro K, Barger SD. The domestic violence fatality review clearinghouse: introduction to a new National Data System with a focus on firearms. Inj Epidemiol. 2019 Feb 25;6:6. doi: 10.1186/s40621-019-0182-2. eCollection 2019.
- Stansfield R, Semenza D. Licensed firearm dealer availability and intimate partner homicide: A multilevel analysis in sixteen states. Prev Med. 2019 May 29;126:105739. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.05.027. [Epub ahead of print]
- Sorenson SB, Spear D. New data on intimate partner violence and intimate relationships: Implications for gun laws and federal data collection. Prev Med. 2018 Feb;107:103-108. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.01.005. Epub 2018 Jan 30.
- Sorenson SB1. Guns in Intimate Partner Violence: Comparing Incidents by Type of Weapon. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2017 Mar;26(3):249-258. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2016.5832. Epub 2017 Jan 30.
- WHO, Femicide https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/violence/rhr12_38/en/
- #CallItFemicide: Understanding gender-related killings of women and girls in Canada 2018. Canadian Femicide Observatoryfor Justice and Accountability. https://femicideincanada.ca/2018report
- Organization TWH. Understanding and addressing violence against women 2012 https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/violence/rhr12_38/en/.
- Campbell JC, Glass N, Sharps PW, Laughon K, Bloom T. Intimate partner homicide: review and implications of research and policy. Trauma, violence & abuse. 2007;8(3):246-69.
- Sorenson SB. Firearm use in intimate partner violence: a brief overview. Evaluation review. 2006;30(3):229-36.
- Sanford C, Marshall SW, Martin SL, Coyne-Beasley T, Waller AE, Cook PJ, et al. Deaths from violence in North Carolina, 2004: how deaths differ in females and males. Injury prevention: journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention. 2006;12 Suppl 2:ii10-ii6.
- Carmichael H, Jamison E, Bol KA, McIntyre R, Jr., Velopulos CG. Premeditated versus "passionate": patterns of homicide related to intimate partner violence. The Journal of surgical research. 2018;230:87-93.
- Arbuckle J, Olson L, Howard M, Brillman J, Anctil C, Sklar D. Safe at home? Domestic violence and other homicides among women in New Mexico. Annals of emergency medicine. 1996;27(2):210-5.
- Adhia A, Kernic MA, Hemenway D, Vavilala MS, Rivara FP. Intimate Partner Homicide of Adolescents. JAMA pediatrics. 2019.
- Banks L, Crandall C, Sklar D, Bauer M. A comparison of intimate partner homicide to intimate partner homicide-suicide: one hundred and twenty-four New Mexico cases. Violence against women. 2008;14(9):1065-78.
- Campbell JC, Webster D, Koziol-McLain J, Block C, Campbell D, Curry MA, et al. Risk factors for femicide in abusive relationships: results from a multisite case control study. American journal of public health. 2003;93(7):1089-97.
- Kivisto AJ, Magee LA, Phalen PL, Ray BR. Firearm Ownership and Domestic Versus Nondomestic Homicide in the U.S. American journal of preventive medicine. 2019;57(3):311-20
- Stansfield R, Semenza D. Licensed firearm dealer availability and intimate partner homicide: A multilevel analysis in sixteen states. Preventive medicine. 2019;126:105739.
- Diez C, Kurland RP, Rothman EF, Bair-Merritt M, Fleegler E, Xuan Z, et al. State Intimate Partner Violence-Related Firearm Laws and Intimate Partner Homicide Rates in the United States, 1991 to 2015. Annals of internal medicine. 2017;167(8):536-43
- Gollub EL, Gardner M. Firearm legislation and firearm use in female intimate partner homicide using National Violent Death Reporting System data. Preventive medicine. 2019;118:216-9.
- McPhedran S. An Evaluation of the Impacts of Changing Firearms Legislation on Australian Female Firearm Homicide Victimization Rates. Violence against women. 2018;24(7):798-815.
- Bailey JE, Kellermann AL, Somes GW, Banton JG, Rivara FP, Rushforth NP. Risk factors for violent death of women in the home. Archives of internal medicine. 1997;157(7):777-82.
- Finlay-Morreale HE, Tsuei BJ, Fisher BS, Davis K, Johannigman JA. Close is dead: determinants of firearm injury lethality in women. The Journal of trauma. 2009;66(4):1207-11.
- McFarlane J, Campbell JC, Sharps P, Watson K. Abuse during pregnancy and femicide: urgent implications for women's health. Obstetrics and gynecology. 2002;100(1):27-36.
- Nicolaidis C, Curry MA, Ulrich Y, Sharps P, McFarlane J, Campbell D, et al. Could we have known? A qualitative analysis of data from women who survived an attempted homicide by an intimate partner. Journal of general internal medicine. 2003;18(10):788-94.
- Sorenson SB, Schut RA. Nonfatal Gun Use in Intimate Partner Violence: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Trauma, violence & abuse. 2018;19(4):431-42.
- Sorenson SB. Guns in Intimate Partner Violence: Comparing Incidents by Type of Weapon. Journal of women's health (2002). 2017;26(3):249-58.
- Hink AB, Toschlog E, Waibel B, Bard M. Risks go beyond the violence: Association between intimate partner violence, mental illness, and substance abuse among females admitted to a rural Level I trauma center. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2015;79(5):709-14; discussion 15-6.
- Sorenson SB, Wiebe DJ. Weapons in the lives of battered women. American journal of public health. 2004;94(8):1412-7.
- Sullivan TP, Weiss NH. Is Firearm Threat in Intimate Relationships Associated with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Women? Violence and gender. 2017;4(2):31-6.
- Intimate Partner Violence. Draft. https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/trauma/advocacy/ipc/firearm-injury
Press releases
An open letter to Minister Bill Blair
April 20, 2020
Hon. Bill Blair
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Sent via e-mail to bill.blair@parl.gc.ca
Dear Minister Blair,
On behalf of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG), PolySeSouvient, the Coalition for Gun Control, and Danforth Families for Safe Communities, we are writing to you in deep sorrow. Like all Canadians, we grieve with the families and communities affected by the mass shooting in Nova Scotia on the weekend.
With health workers, policy makers, and all Canadians focused on the COVID-19 crisis and efforts to keep patients, communities, and families safe, it is indeed tragically unfortunate that attention must be briefly directed to another issue, but the consequences of gun violence are not constrained by a virus: firearms remain a serious public health concern, even during a pandemic.
This devastating tragedy has supplanted the original intent of our letter, which was to express our alarm over continuing media reports of an “explosion” in sales of ammunition and guns – including military style assault weapons.
As you are aware, measures to contain the virus – necessary as they are – are increasing the vulnerability of women and children in abusive environments. As has been noted by mental health experts, there is also a heightened risk of anxiety and depression during this time of health and economic uncertainty and physical distancing. The scientific evidence demonstrates very clearly the links between access to firearms and the risk of femicide, suicide, and accidental shootings.
Further, the pandemic and associated misinformation campaigns have led police and anti-hate experts to warn of a risk of violence from far-right groups. The propensity for such groups and individuals to stockpile guns, particularly military-style assault weapons, has been noted in Canada.
On both sides of the border, gun lobbies and their supporters have for years deployed a rhetoric of fear and isolationism that equates guns with freedom and personal protection. This creates a potentially dangerous environment during a pandemic. As medical experts can attest, a gun cannot protect you from a virus.
Minister, our organizations’ shared position on gun control is well known. We understand that prior to the pandemic your government had been preparing to act on election promises to restrict access to firearms. While we appreciate the capacity for substantive policy change is difficult at this moment – and acknowledge your government’s efforts to respond to the gravity of the COVID-19 crisis and resulting consequences – we implore you to take one decisive, achievable action right now: ban the new sale of military style assault weapons. As has been well documented, these guns pose an excessive risk to public safety and serve no reasonable purpose.
As this pandemic has taught us, preventative measures to protect public health and safety work, and Canadians have coalesced around the importance of scientific evidence. You have the power take an evidence-based measure right now that will save lives. Sadly, we cannot reverse past tragedies, nor prevent all future tragedies, but we can do much more to reduce the risk.
Today, we ask you to take one small step toward this goal. Please act now Minister Blair.
For more information or to arrange a meeting, please contact Christopher Holcroft, Consultant for Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, at christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca.
Sincerely,
Dr. Najma Ahmed, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Heidi Rathjen, PolySeSouvient
Wendy Cukier, Coalition for Gun Control
Ken Price and Claire Smith, Danforth Families for Safe Communities
On behalf of our organizations
Canadian Doctors for Protection releases CDPG 1 Year Later: New Stories from the Frontlines and a Cri de Coeur for Change
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) marked one year since its launch with an event in Toronto today to release a new booklet of reflections by physicians and other health professionals on treating victims of guns. Selected stories were read by prominent authors including former Governor General the Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson and Giller Prize winner Dr. Vincent Lam.
CDPG 1 Year Later: New Stories from the Frontlines and a Cri de Coeur for Change contains more than 25 first-person accounts from across the country highlighting the numerous tragic consequences of gunshot wounds on victims and their families. Stories of gun homicide, suicide, femicide, accidental shootings of children, rehabilitation and treatment of gun injury, and psychological trauma on victims, survivors, families, health workers, and communities are told with searing reality and an urgent call for change. Every story is a cautionary tale of the risks posed by the proliferation of guns in our communities.
The booklet also induces the release of an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair proposing an agenda for action.
Open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Public Safety Minister Bill Blair: One year later, new stories from the frontlines and an urgent call to act on guns
Dear Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Blair,
One year ago, physicians and health workers from across the country came together with an urgent appeal to our government: act now to reduce the human trauma caused by guns. Motivated by our firsthand experiences healing the wounded, rebuilding the broken, comforting the dying, and supporting the families of gunshot victims, we came together as servants of the public, our interest: the health and well-being of Canadians. Our message then, as now, is that it is time to take a public health approach to address this growing crisis, as we have with other social threats, from tobacco to road safety. This is how Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns came to be.
Over the course of the year, our organization has brought together 14 medical associations from across the country. We have received the endorsement of the National Council of Women of Canada. We presented overwhelming evidence – more than 150 citations to date - that restricting access to guns saves lives. We marched in the streets and organized community information sessions. We wrote letters to government and had editorials published on our behalf.
And we continued to treat victims of guns: women shot by their intimate partners; rural residents taking their own life with a firearm; revelers of an urban celebration terrorized by a public shooting young; men fighting to overcome the bullets of a handgun; children caught in the crossfire. Multiple surgeries. Numerous counselling sessions. The echoes of screams that never go away.
Some of these experiences are included in a booklet we are releasing publicly today called “CDPG 1 Year Later: New Stories from the Frontlines and a Cri de Coeur for Change”. The stories are shocking, yet so common – and so preventable. Change is needed. Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Blair, you are in positions to make this change. You must act, quickly.
From the beginning, our asks of government have been simple: reduce the proliferation of guns in our society, educate Canadians about the risks of guns in our homes and communities, and invest in the social determinants of gun violence.
Today, we are reiterating these asks and calling on your government to also take the following specific actions as part of a comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence:
Act to ban semi-automatic weapons from our country. While there is much political gamesmanship over definitions of assault weapons, the government must move immediately to enact a federal ban on the sale of weapons that can cause so much human carnage so quickly. The weapons ban must be clear, comprehensive, and err on the side of public safety.
A reasonable buyback program and stricter storage rules should follow. Invest in social determinants of gun violence to better support vulnerable people and communities. These investments should be tailored to local needs and aimed at reducing poverty, addressing inequities, and providing opportunities for young people. Groups such as Health Providers Against Poverty have expertise and recommendations that should inform the next federal Budget.
Implement a “red flag law” and other measures to lower the risk of suicide and femicide by preventing or withdrawing access to guns for people who pose a risk to themselves or others. Such measures should be combined with strengthening mental health supports.
Implement harm reductions strategies including warnings on all advertising and at the point of sale of guns to inform Canadians of the increased risks of femicide, suicide, and unintentional shootings of children posed by having a gun in the home.
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is also supportive of measures to stop the flow of illegal guns at the Canada-US border, encourage international efforts to reduce the proliferation of guns, and follow evidence-based measures on criminal justice policy.
Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Blair, in poll after poll, Canadians have made their views known. We do not have to live in fear of guns. We do not have to go down the path of the United States on guns. We do not have to wait for more people to die from guns. We can act.
It is time for you to lead.
Sincerely,
Dr. Najma Ahmed
On behalf of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
On 3rd anniversary of Islamic Cultural Centre Shooting, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns calls on Bill Blair to ban sale of semi-automatic weapons without delay
Toronto, ON – January 29, 2020 – As Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) stands in solidarity with the Muslim community, Quebecers, and all Canadians affected on the third anniversary of the mass shooting at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City, the organization calls on Bill Blair to ban the sale of semi-automatic assault weapons without delay.
The tragedy three years ago was the result of a toxic mix of hate and deadly weapons. It led to horrific loss of life and unthinkable trauma for the survivors and victims’ families left behind. We all mourn this result.
“Every day the government delays banning semi-automatic assault weapons is a day we fail to lessen the risk of mass shooting fatalities from happening,” said Dr. Najma Ahmed, trauma surgeon and co-founder of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns. “Experts including the Canadian Anti-Hate Network have detailed the ongoing risks to society if governments fail to stop hate and strengthen gun control.”
Measures to restrict access to guns are also strongly supported by medical research which consistently shows a clear correlation between restrictions on access to guns and improved public health and safety.
Consider the international experience and the implementation of restrictive gun legislation following mass shooting events:
- In Australia, in the 18 years before the Port Arthur massacre, there were 13 mass shootings (5 or more killed excluding perpetrator). In 22 years following the passage of a significant gun restriction law and the implementation of a gun buyback program ('96-'18) there were zero such incidents.
- In the UK, there has been one mass shooting event since the passage of a handgun ban following the Dunblane school shooting almost 24 years ago.
- Even in the US, mass-shooting fatalities were 70% less likely to occur during the period in which there was an assault weapons ban in that country. Contrast that to the current situation without a ban, where there were 417 mass shooting events in 2019 alone.
More recently, New Zealand’s government acted swiftly to ban semi-automatic weapons following last year’s mass shooting at a mosque in Christchurch.
“Every day the government delays, the gun lobby pleads for people to buy more of these weapons, said Dr. Philip Berger, senior adviser to Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns and Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. “While the gun lobby continues to spread false information in its hurry to sell more guns, the public health of Canadians remains at risk.”
Indeed, the gun lobby has put out repeated calls for the stockpiling of guns, including military-style assault weapons.
https://twitter.com/TWilsonOttawa/status/1219437544917667840
Just last month, Canadians marked the 30th anniversary of the killing of 14 women and the injuring of 14 more in the shooting at École Polytechnique in Montreal. Last week, the anniversary of the mass shooting at La Loche, and Moncton, Fredericton, and Toronto have also been the site of mass shootings.
“Will our Members of Parliament choose to follow the American path of ‘thoughts and prayers’ following mass shootings or will they act with courage and ban semi-automatic assault weapons?” said Dr. Ahmed. “No more delay.”
In the coming days, CDPG will be releasing new information which illustrates the ongoing trauma caused by guns in Canada, and proposing an agenda for government action to lessen it.
About Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting, for Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767 /christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
December 6, 2019
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns Remembers
Members of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is joining other Canadians in marking the 30th anniversary of the killing of 14 women and the injuring of 14 more in the shooting at École Polytechnique in Montreal. As evidenced by the stories being told over the past several days, this is a tragedy that affected individuals and a community. It haunts victims and families, first responders and journalists, advocates and citizens.
Gender-based violence and misogyny continue to plague our society, and shootings are the most common method used in the killing of women and girls. In fact, a gun in the home increases the risk of femicide. Canadians who may be at risk, and those wishing to learn more about these issues, are encouraged to speak with their physician.
We call on our political leaders to honour the memory of the victims of this tragedy by taking meaningful action to address gender-based violence in all its forms, from confronting hate to reducing poverty. The federal government must also take action on gun control, including by banning assault weapons and handguns and introducing “red flag” laws to protect vulnerable women and children. The time to act is now. Consider, the gun used in the École Polytechnique shooting is still for sale.
Today, we stand in solidarity with women and girls across the country, and with the courageous advocates of PolyRemembers/ PolySeSouvient. Their efforts over decades to change minds and laws to prevent similar tragedies is inspirational. We are grateful for their service. We remember.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting, for Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767/ christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
For immediate release
Health professionals, policy advocates, survivors of gun violence, and the Canadian Anti-Hate Network call on gun lobby to halt its dangerous rhetoric to ensure a safe election
Groups urge all political leaders to denounce offensive comments
Toronto, October 20, 2019 – Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG), the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, PolyRemembers/PolySeSouvient, Danforth Families for Safe Communities, and the Coalition for Gun Control are calling on Canadian gun lobby groups to stop its increasingly inflammatory rhetoric for the good of our democracy. The organizations are deeply concerned that reckless statements infused with violent imagery coming from gun industry and gun “rights” groups could pose a threat to ensuring a safe election day for all Canadians.
The latest vituperation was revealed in a recent statement by the Canadian Shooting Sports Association that asked: “What is an acceptable death toll for Trudeau’s Liberal Government?”, and “Minister Blair, how many Canadians are you willing to kill and injure in order to collect their guns?”
These comments follow similar troubling statements from the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights that claim doctors will “own” responsibility for children possibly being shot and killed by police officers, and are "stepping on the throats" of people who own guns and trying to "discriminate" and "hurt" them after hours; regularly disparage survivors of gun violence advocating for stronger laws as “grave dancers”, going as far as to accuse them of “supporting crime”; and have referred to a communications consultant as being “as bad a person as” Nazi propogandist Joseph Goebbels.
A security concern last week that forced Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to wear a bulletproof vest – a concern dismissed as “theatre” by gun lobby leaders – underscores the serious consequences of a rhetoric of anger and division. In 2012, one person was killed and another injured at Quebec Premier Pauline Marois’ election night victory party (with a legal assault weapon).
The peaceful functioning of our democracy relies on a civil discourse. We believe these comments do not reflect the views of the large majority of Canadians who own a firearm. We urge all political leaders to demonstrate leadership in the closing hours of the campaign and denounce such reckless rhetoric.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting, for Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767/ christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
For immediate release
Conservative Party plan to move backwards on gun control will endanger public health, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns warns
The three other major national parties all support new gun control measures with the Liberal Party offering most comprehensive approach
Toronto, October 17, 2019 – Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is warning that Andrew Scheer’s Conservative Party plan to move backwards on gun control will endanger public health. The organization is also concerned about the political company that Mr. Scheer keeps. Rod Giltaca, CEO of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR), acknowledged in a Reddit Ask Me Anything session on October 12th that the organization has “had great discussions” with the Conservative Party and “are in somewhat agreement with us that any regulation that doesn't have a demonstrable effect on public safety should be looked at very seriously”. The CCFR calls for open and concealed carry of firearms in public, stand your ground laws, and eliminating prohibition of guns. Like the CCFR, the Conservative Party is refusing to place new restrictions on access to guns and is promising to repeal Bill C-71, legislation that improves background checks, among other modest changes.
In September, CDPG sent a questionnaire to all major national party leaders. Our organization welcomed the thoughtful answers to our questions from the Liberal, New Democratic, and Green parties. The Conservative Party did not respond. Included among the questions was whether the proliferation of assault weapons and handguns should be considered a public health threat; if Canada should take a harm reduction approach to guns; and if leaders would denounce the repeated personal attacks on our members by the CCFR. On these points, all parties who responded agreed.
We are pleased with the Liberal Party’s commitment to a national assault weapons ban, and an overall gun control plan that is progressive, specific, and actionable. Further highlights from the Liberal, NDP, and Green Party responses to our questionnaire can be read at www.doctorsforprotectionfromguns.ca.
Members of CDPG see the increasing devastation caused by guns on our patients; our communities suffer the impacts for years; and our public health care system bears the weight of preventable harm. Since launching its campaign to bring a public health focus to gun control policy, CDPG has collected a wide body of evidence supporting its position that restricting access to guns reduces gun injury and death, and that jurisdictions with stronger gun laws, including specific gun bans, have fewer gun homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings. Our organization’s call for a substantive public policy response to address this issue has been endorsed by 13 prominent medical associations as well as the National Council of Women of Canada. We stand with the large majority of Canadians calling for more action on gun control, now.
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About Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide. For more information please visit www.canadiandoctorsforprotectionfromguns.ca.
For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting
For Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767/ christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
The following are highlights from the Liberal, NDP, and Green Party responses to our questionnaire:
Liberal Party
Ban assault weapons and attachments which increase lethality; launch buyback program
Give cities the power to ban handguns
Change “the way firearms are advertised, marketed, and sold in Canada”
Red flag law
Support for youth at risk and a poverty reduction strategy
Add mental health services to Canada Health Act
Flag bulk purchases of guns
Strengthen safe storage laws
Ensure police resources and strengthen penalties for gun smuggling
Require everyone importing ammunition to show proof of a valid firearms license
New Democratic Party
The “removal of assault military weapons from our cities”
Support allowing cities to ban handguns
Support a harm reduction approach to guns
Policies to address poverty, racism, and other social determinants of violence
More focused resources to prevent the illegal smuggling of guns
Green Party
New measures to reduce gun smuggling
Launch a confidential buyback program for handguns and assault weapons
Review options for secure central storage
Review the banning of instruments or attachments which increase the lethality of weapons
Support a harm reduction policy improve access to affordable housing, implement a guaranteed liveable income,
create a universal childcare program
For immediate release
Former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, novelist Margaret Atwood, among prominent Canadian writers calling on party leaders to endorse a ban on assault weapons and handguns
Signatories to letter support campaign of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns and denounce gun lobby rhetoric
Toronto, October 9, 2019 – Canadian authors Margaret Atwood, Charlotte Gray, Michael Ondaatje, and Dr. Vincent Lam, as well as former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson are among the signatories of an open letter to party leaders being released today backing Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns’ campaign for a ban on assault weapons and handguns. With the federal election less than two weeks away, the intervention of nearly 20 prominent writers adds to a growing public demand for Canada’s next government to stand up to the gun lobby and implement significant new gun control measures.
From the letter, the full text of which can be found below:
“When it comes to creating public policy on guns, governments must weigh private privilege and industry profit against the far greater importance of public health and community well-being....Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is calling for a ban on assault weapons and handguns as part of a comprehensive legal and social policy approach to addressing the public health impacts of guns. The signatories of this letter support their call to action. We ask you to join us and commit to moving quickly on the doctors’ recommendations, including the ban.”
Members of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns see the increasing devastation caused by guns on our patients; our communities suffer the impacts for years; and our public health care system bears the weight of preventable harm. The organization has called for a comprehensive public policy response, including addressing social determinants, reducing the illegal sale of guns and the importation of firearms from other jurisdictions, and measures to restrict access to guns.
A wide body of evidence supports the position of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, as demonstrated by a thorough reference list with more than 150 citations of international scientific literature, peer-reviewed research papers, and publications from leading medical journals, available on our website.
“The evidence is incontrovertible: restricting access to guns will make our communities safer,” said Dr, Najma Ahmed, trauma surgeon and co-founder of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns. “We are thrilled to have the support of so many acclaimed Canadian writers in our campaign for stronger gun control policy.”
The letter comes one week after the launch of a national, pro bono advertising campaign to warn Canadians that the proliferation of assault weapons and handguns represents a public health threat – www.notbulletproof.ca/ www.paspareballes.ca. Over the past 15 years the number of such weapons in Canada has grown dramatically and it Is now time for political leaders to act.
About Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide. For more information please visit www.canadiandoctorsforprotectionfromguns.ca.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting
For Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767
christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
The Canadian Way – Saying yes to Doctors’ call for a ban on assault weapons and handguns
Dear Justin Trudeau, Andrew Scheer, Jagmeet Singh, Elizabeth May, Yves-François Blanchet:
Canada is a country of reason and civility, peace and the common good.
When it comes to creating public policy on guns, governments must weigh private privilege and industry profit against the far greater importance of public health and community well-being.
Physicians with Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns have witnessed firsthand the devastating physical and emotional trauma wrought by guns, from gender-based violence to suicide, homicide to accidental shootings of children. One of its founders, trauma surgeon Dr. Najma Ahmed, was on call the night of the mass shooting in the Danforth neighbourhood of Toronto.
The physicians point to a wide body of international research that makes three things very clear. 1. Death and injury by guns is a preventable public health issue. 2. Countries and jurisdictions with stronger gun laws have less gun injury and death. 3. Canada does not fare well compared to our peer nations of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development on proliferation of guns and firearm mortality.
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is calling for a ban on assault weapons and handguns as part of a comprehensive legal and social policy approach to addressing the public health impacts of guns. The signatories of this letter support their call to action. We ask you to join us and commit to moving quickly on the doctors’ recommendations, including the ban.
Since launching their campaign, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns has been endorsed by more than a dozen prominent medical associations and women’s organizations and supported by doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other health professionals from across the country.
Yet the campaign has also drawn the vitriolic ire of Canadian gun lobby groups who have engaged in online campaigns of harassment, launched frivolous complaints to the country’s largest professional regulatory college, and released a disturbing video warning that doctors will “own” responsibility for children being shot and killed if a handgun and assault weapons ban is implemented. On April 12th, the CEO of one of the groups compared a gun control advocate working with the doctors to lead Nazi propogandist Joseph Goebbels.
This is the discourse and tactics of the National Rifle Association in the United States. We have seen where that path can lead. Our history, culture, and politics are very different in Canada, yet we cannot be complacent. Our leaders must clearly state the gun lobby approach is not welcome here.
We need a made in Canada solution to gun policy. The security and well-being of our families and communities depend on it. Support a ban on handguns and assault weapons.
Sincerely,
Signatures
Angie Abdou
Margaret Atwood
Dennis Bock
Cathy Buchanan
Adrienne Clarkson
Andrew Davidson
Graeme Gibson
Don Gillmor
Charlotte Gray
Rawi Hage
Elizabeth Hay
Vincent Lam
Linden McIntyre
Michael Ondaatje
Michael Redhill
Linda Spalding.
Madeleine Thien
Alissa York
For immediate release
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns launches #NotBulletproof campaign to alert Canadians to harm posed by proliferation of semi-automatic weapons
Group also releases extensive new reference list backing call for stronger gun laws
Toronto, October 2, 2019 – Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is launching a new national advertising campaign to warn Canadians that the proliferation of semi-automatic guns in this country represents a public health threat – www.notbulletproof.ca/ www.paspareballes.ca. Over the past 15 years the number of semi-automatic weapons in Canada has grown dramatically and it Is now time for political leaders to act.
“The evidence is incontrovertible: restricting access to guns, including semi-automatic weapons, will make our communities safer,” said Dr, Najma Ahmed, trauma surgeon and co-founder of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns. “One need only look to the United States to see the drastic consequences of failing to keep these weapons out of our communities.”
Members of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns see the increasing devastation caused by guns on our patients; our communities suffer the impacts for years; and our public health care system bears the weight of preventable harm. The organization has called for a comprehensive public policy response, including addressing social determinants, reducing the illegal sale of guns and the importation of firearms from other jurisdictions, and measures to restrict access to guns.
A wide body of evidence supports the position of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, as demonstrated by the thorough reference list being released today, with more than 150 citations of international scientific literature, peer-reviewed research papers, and publications from leading medical journals.
Canadians Doctors for Protection from Guns is assisted in this campaign by national advertising firm Anderson DDB Health and Lifestyle, which graciously produced the advertising creative pro bono as part of its commitment to community well-being.
“We are pleased to be able to support Canadians Doctors for Protection from Guns in their important work to keep our communities safe,” said Anderson DDB Health & Lifestyle President and CEO Kevin Brady. “The team at Anderson DDB Health & Lifestyle was energized by this work and we believe this creative campaign is impactful and will wake Canadians up to the threat posed by semi-automatic weapons.”
The campaign will begin rolling out digitally today and in print and broadcast over the next week. The campaign is timed to engage Canadians as they consider gun control during the current federal election.
“With the concerning rise of hate groups in Canada coupled with the gun lobby’s inflammatory rhetoric it would seem that reducing access to semi-automatic weapons will undoubtedly lessen the tragic consequences of violent acts,” said Dr. Alan Drummond, Rural Emergency Physician and Executive Member of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns.
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns has written all political parties asking for their positions on various elements of laws and policies to keep Canadians safe from guns, including whether they support a ban on handguns and assault weapons, or semi-automatic weapons. The #NotBulletproof campaign invites Canadians to contact their local political candidates to encourage the same. With more than 80% of Canadians wanting stronger gun control laws, now is the time move forward.
“For too long Canadians have had to listen to the misleading, vituperative rhetoric of the gun industry lobby,” said Dr. Philip Berger, Associate Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto and Senior Advisor to Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns. “It is time Canadians hear the truth. More guns equals more injury and death. It is time for our political leaders to act with courage and ban civilian ownership of semi-automatic weapons in Canada.”
About Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide. For more information please visit www.canadiandoctorsforprotectionfromguns.ca
About Anderson DDB Health & Lifestyle
We are North America’s leading health and lifestyle agency with award-winning work that spans the globe. For over 40 years, we’ve worked with consumer and healthcare companies to develop smart, insightful, influential campaigns that make a difference in the lives of consumers. With roots in consumer marketing, we bring that same methodology and understanding to all our communications.
Our goal is to turn our clients' passions and objectives into meaningful work that impacts patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals everywhere. Anderson DDB Health & Lifestyle has a long-standing tradition of donating marketing services to wide variety of causes that resonate with agency staff.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting
For Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767
christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
For immediate release
Toronto, ON, September 20, 2019
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns welcomes Liberal Party proposal to ban assault weapons and restrict access to guns
Group calls on all political parties to endorse stronger gun laws and denounce NRA-style rhetoric and tactics of the gun lobby
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns welcomes the Liberal Party’s campaign platform announcement today, particularly the proposal to ban assault weapons. The evidence clearly shows restricting access to guns, and assault weapons in particular, reduces injury and death by firearm.
Members of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns see the devastation caused by guns on our patients, our communities suffer the impacts for years, and our public health care system bears the weight of preventable harm. With more than 80% of Canadians wanting stronger gun laws to restrict access to guns, now is the time move forward.
Our organization is also in support of measures to flag owners of firearms who may be deemed a risk to themselves or their families. Approximately 80% of gun deaths are suicides and firearms are the most common method used in the killing of women and girls according to the Canadian Femicide Observatory.
The proposal to restrict access to handguns may have good intentions but is not the most effective measure available. As we have seen from the US, regionalized gun laws are insufficient in protecting people from injury and death. We strongly encourage a national ban on handguns.
New rules on the storage of firearms and the purchase of ammunition are also welcomed.
Earlier this week, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns wrote all political parties asking for their positions on various elements of laws and policies to keep Canadians safe from guns. We have also specifically requested parties denounce the rhetoric and tactics of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights that is so harmful to having a respectful, evidence-based discussion on gun control. In addition to the mass filing of vexatious complaints to the professional college of Dr. Najma Ahmed, ultimately dismissed for appearing to be an abuse of process, the group has claimed the following:
- the CDPG advocacy campaign could result in children being shot and killed by police officers, and doctors would “own” responsibility for it - https://tinyurl.com/y2wkgext
- doctors involved in the campaign are "stepping on the throats" of people who own guns and trying to "discriminate" and "hurt" gun owners after hours - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRV1U83em30&feature=youtu.be.
- “doctors will lie to you as easily as they breathe...we are going after them next" referring to medical associations endorsing CDPG - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlc_guXfJCU
- a consultant to CDPG is “as bad a person” as lead Nazi propogandist Joseph Goebbels - https://twitter.com/KeegParty/status/1117683971473563648
Canadian political leaders must distance themselves from this NRA-style rhetoric and tactics. In the interim, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns will continue to advocate for further restrictions on access to guns in our society to make our homes and communities safer.
About Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide. For more information please visit www.canadiandoctorsforprotectionfromguns.ca.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting
For Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767
christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
For immediate release
Toronto, ON, September 4 2019
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns calls on Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board to divest from American handgun and assault weapons manufacturers
In response to news that an upcoming report from Corporate Knights will reveal the Canadian Pension Plan includes holdings in American handgun and assault weapon manufacturers, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is calling on the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) to end these relationships. As the CPPIB regards "responsible investing simply as intelligent long-term investing" it must take immediate steps to divest from the big gun industry. An industry that profits from injury and death and fear and weak gun laws do not meet the definition of responsible investing.
Our members see the devastation caused by guns on our patients, our communities suffer the impacts for years, and our public health care system bears the weight of preventable harm. With more than 80% of Canadians wanting stronger gun laws to restrict access to guns, our public pension plan should not be operating counter to this interest. We would be pleased to meet with the CPPIB Board to discuss the public health impacts of guns.
About Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting
For Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767 / christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
For immediate release
Following another chaotic shooting incident in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to act now on guns
Toronto, ON, June 19, 2019 – Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to take decisive action to protect the health and well-being of Canadians following a chaotic shooting incident in Toronto that for many, marred a tremendous public celebration of the Toronto Raptors championship basketball team. Doctors and other health care workers at the downtown Toronto hospital nearest the shooting treated not only the direct victims of gunfire, but injured children, pregnant women in distress, and those suffering from emotional shock.
“Monday’s near mass tragedy is a direct result of the proliferation of guns in our society,” said Dr. Najma Ahmed, co-Chair of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns and a trauma surgeon at St, Michael’s Hospital. “The Prime Minister needs to act now on handguns and assault weapons before another event happens.”
The Canadian experience tells us shooting events such as the one that occurred Monday in Toronto are not limited to big cities. Moncton, La Loche, Fredericton, and Quebec City have all been sites of mass shootings. We also know the type of guns used vary – and they can be legally obtained or illegally obtained. The perpetrators and motivations change. The common denominator is always the gun.
The proliferation of guns represents a growing public health threat. Statistics Canada reports that firearm-related violent crime has increased 42% since 2013. Canada has the 5th highest rate of age adjusted, standardized firearm mortality among 23 peer countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (Journal of the American Medical Association, 2018). Women and girls are particularly vulnerable. Shooting was the most common method of their killing in 2018 at 34% according to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability.
“Guns inflict psychological trauma and an emotional toll that lasts well after physical wounds have healed and impacts communities of people beyond direct victims,” said Dr. Julie Maggi, Executive member of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns and a Psychiatrist at St. Michael’s Hospital. “Comprehensive action on guns must be a public health priority.”
Missing in calls to restrict gun bans to cities is the reality that gun violence, per capita, is higher in rural Canada than urban. Further, 75% of gun deaths are suicides – a crisis that knows no municipal boundaries. Nor can femicide or accidental shootings be considered distinct geographic phenomena.
Polls consistently show tremendous public support from all parts of the country for a ban on handguns and assault weapons. Such measures are also strongly supported by medical research which consistently shows a clear correlation between restrictions on access to guns and improved public health and safety.
“Election promises are nice, but Canadians need action now,” said Dr. Philip Berger, senior adviser to Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns and Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. “While the gun industry lobby continues to spread false information in its hurry to sell more guns, the public health of Canadians remains at risk. The Prime Minister witnessed first-hand the impact of guns on the public. He cannot maintain his government’s inadequate compromise on effective gun control legislation.”
More than 1,000 health professionals and medical students in 16 cities participated in a National Day of Action on April 3rd in support of Bill C-71 and a ban on assault weapons and handguns. In April, the Canadian Medical Association Journal endorsed advocating for a public health approach to guns. The medical community is broadly united on this issue and Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns intends to ensure gun control is an issue in the upcoming federal election through a variety of campaign interventions.
“Stronger gun laws hurt no one, and they will save countless lives,” said Dr. Ahmed. “Those who wish to lead must put public health and well-being first.”
About Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting
For Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767
christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
May 28, 2019 - Statement by Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
A good day for public health and safety as the Senate passes Bill C-71
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns welcomes the passing of Bill C-71 by Senators this evening. This is legislation that will make our families and our communities safer. Bill C-71, An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms, is supported by clear and compelling evidence linking restrictions on access to guns with improved public health outcomes.
We wish to thank the Bill’s sponsor in the Senate, Senator Andre Pratte, and Ministers Ralph Goodale and Bill Blair for their advocacy for this legislation. There is widespread support for Bill C-71 within the medical community. A dozen prominent medical associations have endorsed our call for stronger gun laws. More than 1,000 health professionals and medical students in 16 cities participated in a National Day of Action on April 3rd in support of Bill C-71 and a ban on assault weapons and handguns. The Bill is also supported by a large majority of Canadians according to a Leger opinion poll from April 26th.
We recognize it takes political courage to overcome the kind of misinformation and harmful rhetoric being spread by those who purport to speak on behalf of Canadian hunters and gun owners. We thank the Senators, and previously, Members of Parliament, who supported this Bill for their commitment to reason and the public good.
The key components of Bill C-71 = better record keeping requirements for gun retailers, stronger background checks, and tighter regulations around transporting a gun – are modest but important changes that will lessen the risk of preventable gun injury and death and make Canadians safer.
The proliferation of guns represents a growing public health threat. Statistics Canada reports that firearm-related violent crime has increased 42% since 2013. Canada has the 5th highest rate of age adjusted, standardized firearm mortality among 23 peer countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (Journal of the American Medical Association, 2018). Women and girls are particularly vulnerable. Shooting was the most common method of their killing in 2018 at 34% according to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability. A 2018 position statement by the Canadian Pediatric Society states that guns should not be kept in environments where children live or play. Suicide is preventable death; 75% of gun deaths are suicides and nearly 15% of adolescent suicides in Canada are by gun.
Today’s vote is a solid step in the right direction. Now we must continue to take measures – including a ban on handguns and assault weapons – that will strengthen public health and safety. There is no time to lose.
About Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting
For Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767
christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
Media Advisory
Media Advisory
Attention: Assignment desks, health, and crime/ justice reporters
Doctors and health professionals in 13 cities across the country to join in a National Day of Action on April 3rd to call for stronger gun laws in Canada
As first-hand witnesses to the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns, doctors and other health professionals are coming together to call for a public health focus to the debate around guns and a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities. Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is holding a national Day of Action on April 3rd in 13 cities across the country, from coast to coast, in large centres and smaller communities, call for stronger gun laws. Specifically, the grassroots group, comprised of trauma surgeons, emergency room physicians, paediatricians, psychologists and nurses, paramedics and other health professionals is urging the federal government to pass Bill C-71, An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms, and to implement a handgun and assault weapons ban.
Guns represent a growing public health threat. Statistics Canada reports that firearm-related violent crime has increased 42% since 2013, and Canada has the 5th highest rate of firearm mortality among 23 countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (Annals of Surgery, 2018). Women and girls are particularly vulnerable. Shooting was the most common method of their killing in 2018 at 34% according to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability. There is an increased risk of suicide when guns are accessible as noted in a 2018 statement by the Canadian Pediatric Society.
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns has concluded that we must treat gun related injury and death the way we treat other public health issues, such as smoking and road safety. The group looks forward to working with governments, health and legal stakeholders, and all concerned Canadians to respond to this urgent public health crisis.
National Day of Action Events – April 3rd
Toronto: Noon. Rally. United Church Grounds. Queen St. East and Bond St.
Montréal: 11 am. Montréal General Hospital. Livingston Hall 6th Floor; 12:30 March to McGill University Medical School.
Calgary: Noon. Rally. 29th St. and 16th Ave. NW.
Edmonton: Noon. Northeast Corner of Garneau Park, 109th St. and 84th Ave.
Vancouver: Noon. March. St. Paul's Hospital. 1081 Burrard St.
Ottawa: Noon. Rally. Wellington Street in front of Parliament; Press Conference 1:30, 135-B Press Conference Room
Kingston: Noon. information session and march. Queen’s Medical School, 15 Arch St.
Barrie/Midhurst: 3 pm. Discussion forum. Midhurst United Church, 90 Doran Rd.
Halifax: 11 am. Information Session. IWK Health Centre. Noon. Letter mailing to the Prime Minister.
St. John's: Noon. Rally. Clock Tower, Student Centre, Memorial University.
London: Letter mailing to the Prime Minister. London Health Science Centre to Canada Post, A-387 Wellington Rd.
Ajax: Noon. Letter writing campaign to the Prime Minister.
Winnipeg: Noon. Letter writing campaign to the Prime Minister.
More to come.
Further information is available at: www.doctorsforprotectionfromguns.ca.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Consultant for Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns
416-996-0767/ christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
For immediate release – Toronto, March 22nd, 2019
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns calls for urgent action by Prime Minister Trudeau to ban assault weapons
With the world galvanized by the swift and courageous decision by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to ban assault weapons in response to the horrific mass shooting at Christchurch mosque, Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to seize the moment and implement a similar ban here.
Last week’s shooting left 50 people dead and many more people remain in hospital in serious condition. The assault weapon used in the attack in New Zealand is similar to the one used in the mass shooting at the Islamic Cultural Centre in Quebec City two years ago. These types of guns can, and do, cause maximum death and horrible injury to many, many people within minutes. They are a threat to the health and well-being of our communities. Yet tragedies created from assault weapons and other guns are preventable with strict legislation.
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns was founded by physicians with firsthand experience treating the victims of gun trauma. We applaud the New Zealand government’s announcement yesterday declaring “all military style semi-automatics (MSSAs) and assault rifles” as well as “related parts used to convert these guns into MSSAs” will be banned, along with “all high-capacity magazines”.
These policy measures are further evidence the global discourse on guns is changing. Last month, the US House of Representatives passed its first major gun control measure in more than 20 years. In Canada. 81% of respondents to a 2018 Environics survey supported a ban on assault weapons. Nine leading Canadian medical organizations have endorsed the CDPG position statement which includes a call for more restrictions on guns.
In spite of the evidence, tragic examples, and public support, the gun industry lobby continues to push for weaker, not stronger gun laws. While Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Bill Blair is expected to table his recommendations to the Prime Minister soon, there is a renewed urgency in implementing a ban on assault weapons.
Canada can demonstrate solidarity with the people of New Zealand while reminding the world we are a country that puts public safety over private interest. Prime Minister Trudeau should seize this moment.
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns will be bringing its call for a ban on assault weapons to the streets as part of a planned National Day of Action on April 3rd. Physicians in at least a dozen cities from coast to coast are organizing rallies, marches, and information sessions to call for change. Details on local events will be announced in the coming days.
About us
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide. Please visit www.doctorsforprotectionfromguns.ca for more information.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Principal, Empower Consulting
416-996-0767
christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
Concerned with growing public health crisis of guns, doctors launch new campaign to fight for stronger laws
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns to hold a National Day of Action on April 3rd
Toronto, February 11th, 2019 – Frequently confronted with the devastation wrought by guns on their patients and communities, doctors from across the country are launching a new organization today to advocate for a comprehensive public policy response. Canadian Doctors for the Protection from Guns (CDPG) is specifically calling for swift passage of Bill C-71, An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms, and a ban on handguns and assault weapons.
"It is time to reframe the debate about guns in Canada and look at firearm related injuries and deaths through a public health lens,” said Dr. Najma Ahmed, Co-Chair of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns and a trauma surgeon at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. “Death and injury by firearms are preventable tragedies. We are calling on policy makers to demonstrate courage and take decisive action to protect the safety of Canadians.”
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns is a grassroots group composed of family doctors, emergency room physicians, trauma surgeons, and psychiatrists collaborating with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, counsellors and many other front-line health care professionals. Its position statement has already been endorsed by seven leading Canadian medical societies and the group has been invited to appear before the Senate’s Standing Committee on National Security and Defence studying Bill C-71 on February 18th at 7:00 pm. On April 3rd, CDPG will hold a National Day of Action in cities, towns, and communities across the country to call for stronger gun control laws
“The impact of guns is not limited to the kinds of violent incidents we learn about in the news,” said Dr. Lynn Wilson, Co-Chair of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns as well as a family physician and Vice Dean at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine. “Our professional experiences with victims of guns includes operating on children dying from accidental gunshots, holding the hands of domestic violence victims shot by their abusers, and counseling the families of people who have taken their own lives by gun.”
Guns represent a growing public health threat. Statistics Canada reports that firearm-related violent crime has increased 42% since 2013, and Canada has the 5th highest rate of firearm mortality among 23 countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (Annals of Surgery, 2018). Women and girls are particularly vulnerable. Shooting was the most common method of their killing in 2018 at 34% according to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability. There is an increased risk of suicide when guns are accessible as noted in a 2018 statement by the Canadian Pediatric Society.
Of course, numbers do not tell the full story.
“The physical and psychological scars on victims, families, and communities far outlast the initial gunshot,” said Jacinthe Lampron, trauma surgeon and Medical Trauma Director at the Ottawa Hospital. “Doctors and nurses treating preventable gun injuries diverts much needed public health resources from other emergency care services. Trauma from gun injuries also results in chronic illness, both physical and psychological.”
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns has concluded that we must treat gun related injury and death the way we treat other public health issues, such as smoking and road safety. The group looks forward to working with governments, health and legal stakeholders, and all concerned Canadians to respond to this urgent public health crisis.
“We know the pro-gun lobby is going to try and muddy the issue,” added Dr. Alan Drummond, a rural emergency physician in Perth, Ontario. “But our expertise – and our professional responsibility – is in the protection of public health. We are therefore compelled to act.”
The following physicians are available for interview:
Dr. Najma Ahmed, Co-Chair of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, and trauma surgeon at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto
Dr. Philip Berger, Associate Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto
Dr. Jacinthe Lampron, trauma surgeon and Medical Trauma Director at the Ottawa Hospital
Dr. Alan Drummond, rural emergency physician in Perth, Ontario
Dr. Andrew Beckett, trauma surgeon at the Montreal General Hospital
Dr. Natasha Saunders, paediatrician and Clinician-Investigator, at The Hospital for Sick Children Toronto
Dr. Julie Maggi, Psychiatrist, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto
About us
Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG) is a grassroots organization concerned about the increasing public health impact of firearms. We represent physicians working in collaboration with nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, researchers and other front-line health care professionals. We have all witnessed first-hand the emotional and physical trauma and devastation caused by guns. CDPG calls for a comprehensive public policy response to this crisis in our communities, including preventative tools to reduce gun use and their consequences on youth violence, domestic abuse, and suicide.
Please visit www,doctorsforprotectionfromguns.ca for more information.
For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Christopher Holcroft
Principal, Empower Consulting
416-996-0767
christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca
fédération des femmes médecins au canada