Further Reading
Research, legislation, and further background information
Background on Bill C-71, An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms –http://www.parl.ca/LegisInfo/BillDetails.aspx?Language=E&billId=9710291
Call it Femicide report - https://femicideincanada.ca/callitfemicide.pdf
CAEP Position Statement on Gun Control - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/canadian-journal-of-emergency-medicine/article/caep-position-statement-on-gun-control/58A3F96DD9C7255585009B9AAD124894
Office for the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime Submission - https://www.victimsfirst.gc.ca/vv/VC-CV/index.html
Homicide in Canada, 2017 - https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2018001/article/54980-eng.htm
The Prevention of Firearm Injuries in Canadian Youth - https://www.cps.ca/en/documents/position/the-prevention-of-firearm-injuries-in-canadian-youth
Can We Do Better?: A Canadian Perspective on Firearm Injury Prevention - https://journals.lww.com/annalsofsurgery/Fulltext/2018/06000/Can_We_Do_Better___A_Canadian_Perspective_on.6.aspx
What Do We Know About the Association Between Firearm Legislation and Firearm-Related Injuries? - https://academic.oup.com/epirev/article/38/1/140/2754868?searchresult=1
Suicide and Suicidal Behavior - https://academic.oup.com/epirev/article/30/1/133/621357?searchresult=1
#ThisIsOurLane. Firearm Safety as Health Care’s Highway - https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1815462
Global Mortality from Firearms, 1990-2016 - https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2698492
Firearm-Related Injuries Affecting the Pediatric Population - http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/130/5/e1416
Mémoire déposé au Comité permanent de la sécurité publique et nationale de la Chambre des communes sur le projet de loi C-391, Loi modifiant le Code criminel et la Loi sur les armes à feu - http://polysesouvient.ca/Documents/ETUD_10_05_00_INSPQ_EtudeImpactsLoi_C391.pdf
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
Household Gun Ownership and Youth Suicide Rates at the State Level, 2005–2015 - https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(18)32383-3/fulltext
Gun Violence Facts and Statistics - https://injury.research.chop.edu/violence-prevention-initiative/types-violence-involving-youth/gun-violence/gun-violence-facts-and#.XIfvUyJKjIV
In the News
Canadian doctors take to the street in a call for stronger gun laws - https://www.cbc.ca/news/thenational/canadian-doctors-take-to-the-streets-in-a-call-for-stronger-gun-laws-1.5083938
Des médecins manifestent à Montréal pour le contrôle des armes à feu - https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1162215/manifestation-medecins-armes-feu-c71
Toronto Trauma Surgeon Target of Complaints by Gun Rights Advocacy - https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-toronto-trauma-surgeon-target-of-complaints-by-gun-rights-advocacy/
Stay In Your Lane Gun Group Floods Physicians College with Complaints Against Toronto Surgeon Over Gun Control Message - https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/03/08/stay-in-your-lane-gun-group-floods-physicians-college-with-complaints-against-toronto-surgeon-over-gun-control-message.html
Regulator Flooded with Complaints Over Doctors Advocating Gun Control - https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/regulator-flooded-with-complaints-over-doctors-advocating-gun-control
Toronto surgeon seeking handgun ban accuses firearms rights group of trying to intimidate her - https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/najma-ahmed-surgeon-gun-control-rights-1.5048707
Taking aim at doctors who take a stand on gun control - https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-taking-aim-at-doctors-who-take-a-stand-on-gun-control/
How Rise in Gun Violence Made Me an Advocate - https://medicine.utoronto.ca/news/uoftmed-alum-how-rise-gun-violence-made-me-advocate
Seconds Count for Victims of Violence - https://globalnews.ca/news/4869058/st-michael-hospital-trauma-treatment-gun-violence-toronto/
St. Mike’s hospital trauma surgeons are using battlefield techniques to treat victims of gun violence –https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/12/27/st-mikes-hospital-trauma-surgeons-are-using-battlefield-techniques-to-treat-victims-of-gun-violence.html
Opinion piece by CDPG co-chair Dr. Najma Ahmed: Doctors must speak out on gun violence - because it is our lane –https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-doctors-must-speak-out-on-gun-violence-because-it-is-our-lane/
Press releases
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