Physician associations praised President Obama’s efforts to reduce gun violence and improve public safety.
“Gun violence is a public health threat to children, and like any epidemic, it can be prevented with the right interventions,” Dr. Benard Dreyer, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said in a statement. “Preventing gun violence is complicated, but achievable, and President Obama’s new executive actions are a welcome and needed first step in an environment where we have yet to see the enactment of commonsense federal gun violence prevention legislation.”
Dr. Renée Binder, president of the American Psychiatric Association, said the announcement highlights needed investments in mental health and necessary efforts to curb the epidemic of gun violence.
“Gun violence is a public health problem and needs to be addressed as such,” Dr. Binder said in a statement. “We support the president’s efforts to expand background checks, propose policies that respect physician-patient confidentiality, and increase funding for mental health services by $500 million. We will work with Congress to make that funding proposal a reality, as we also work with allies in Congress who are championing comprehensive mental health reform.”
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