Gun Safety Education

The WSMA encourages incorporating questions about firearms in and outside the home when documenting social history in the medical record. (Res C-7, A-13) (Reaffirmed A-19)

The WSMA supports encouraging physicians and health care workers to discuss safe storage of guns and the association of guns with risk of homicide, accidental shooting, and suicide, and counsel about risk. (Res C-9, A-18) (Reaffirmed A-19)

The WSMA supports the elimination of laws intruding on physicians' and patients' rights to discuss gun violence. (Res C-9, A-18) (Reaffirmed A-19)

The WSMA encourages its members to screen for risk factors of firearm injury and educate patients about prevention and safe storage. (Res C-15, A-18) (Reaffirmed A-19)

The WSMA recommends that the state of Washington make public health-based education on firearm injury prevention as a standard part of the mandated health curriculum for Washington state high school students. (C-6, A-24)

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Abbreviations for House of Delegates report origination:

EC – Executive Committee; BT – Board of Trustees; CPA – Council on Professional Affairs; JC – Judicial Council; CHS – Community and Health Services