Columbus Public Health Commissioner Urges National Action on Gun Violence Crisis Declaration

Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts has expressed her support for the designation of gun violence as a national public health crisis by the U.S. Surgeon General. The 40-page advisory outlines statistics on deaths caused by firearms and offers suggestions to lawmakers on ways to reduce gun-related injuries and fatalities.

Roberts highlighted the alarming data on gun violence deaths and acknowledged the delayed response from the Surgeon General, noting that local leaders had previously made similar statements. Despite this, she sees an opportunity in the report to further enhance the existing efforts of her office and increase funding at both the federal and state levels.

The report calls for measures such as banning assault weapons, stricter regulations on the gun industry, and enforcing universal background checks. Roberts expressed a desire to use these recommendations to expand their current work and identify potential areas for improvement in Columbus’s approach to addressing gun violence through a public health lens.