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A major new Canadian study of firearm violence globally has found that national laws restricting access to guns save lives. Findings from this research reinforce the importance of recent federal gun control laws and can inform the public discourse as gun lobby groups and their political allies seek to discredit them. The study should also spark the federal Liberal government to finally follow through on its promise to close the loopholes in its 2020 assault weapons ban, proceed with a buyback of such firearms, and prevent new firearms with similar characteristics to the banned weapons from entering the market.
“This latest study reinforces what the wide body of scientific literature and common sense has told us for decades, public laws that restrict private access to firearms prevent injury and death,” said Dr. Najma Ahmed, a trauma surgeon and Chair of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns (CDPG), and one of the many contributors to the study. As part of the research, legislation from 13 different countries was studied for its impact on rates of homicides, suicides, femicides and mass shootings. The study found that “restrictive, national level bans without sunset provisions are the most effective way to reduce reducing firearm mortality.” Research also revealed that prevention-focused measures of revoking firearms or suspending gun licenses from those at high-risk may reduce suicides, mass shootings, and domestic violence. Additional observations included the reduction of firearm violence linked to background checks, and reduction of suicides by firearm with policies restricting access to this type of lethal means. Federal legislation passed in 2019, C-71, increased mandatory background checks for new firearm licenses from five years to lifetime checks. However, implementation of the Red Flag Law provision in 2021’s federal legislation C-21 remains in progress. CDPG calls on Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc to move forward on this critical measure. “There was already good evidence, now enhanced by this study, that intervening to remove firearms from someone at risk of violence to themselves or others can be effective in saving lives,” said Dr. Julie Maggi, a psychiatrist and board member of CDPG, and a contributor to the study. “We hope this latest evidence will encourage the government to act expeditiously to implement the Red Flag Law.” Gun lobby advocacy and disinformation continue to cloud the future of Canadian gun control laws, particularly given Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s promise to repeal recent federal measures such as a national freeze on handguns, stronger background checks, the Red Flag Law, and a ban on more than 1,500 types of semi-automatic assault-style weapons, guns Mr. Poilievre has claimed are regular “hunting rifles”. Among the assault weapons the federal government has already banned through C-21 and the 2020 Order in Council are guns used in some of the worst mass shootings in Canada's history. These are firearms capable of killing many people in mere moments. While our country may fare well compared with the United States, we rank 9th in firearm mortality among 36 nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Most mass shootings here are committed by legal gun owners or with guns diverted from legal sources, and RCMP Deputy Commissioner Mark Flynn noted in Senate Committee testimony on Bill C-21 that, regarding crime guns, “through our tracing efforts, 69 per cent of those firearms were deemed to have legally been imported or manufactured in Canada.” “What this broad, international scope of evidence tells us is that policymakers need to follow the science in order to save lives from firearm violence,” said Dr. Matt Strickland, an Edmonton-based trauma surgeon and board member of CDPG. “What the experience from other countries also tells us is that it is possible to maintain hunting cultures and protect our loved ones from preventable injury and death.” -30- 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 contact: Christopher Holcroft Empower Consulting, for CDPG 416-996-0767 [email protected] Comments are closed.
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