Public health strategies used against cigarettes could help reduce appeal of firearms, paper argues
Public health strategies that helped reduce cigarette smoking in the United States could provide a model for reducing the appeal and use of firearms, particularly handguns, according to a new paper from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.
An article in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine argues that public health strategies successfully used to reduce cigarette smoking in the United States could also be applied to decrease the appeal and usage of firearms, particularly handguns. Daniel Romer, research director at the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, suggests that a broader public health strategy targeting demand for firearms could complement existing efforts focused on at-risk individuals.
Universal Strategies to End Appeal of Firearms in America, published in the journal, proposes examining portrayals of firearms in movies and television shows, which often depict guns as effective self-defense tools. Romer contends that such portrayals could lead young people to perceive handguns as simple and effective means of protection, thus warranting a public health campaign similar to the one against cigarettes.
This campaign would involve reducing firearm product placement and portrayals in entertainment while educating the public about the associated risks, such as leaving firearms unsecured in the home. Romer emphasizes the need for further research to determine the effectiveness of these strategies, but notes that the success of public health campaigns against cigarettes provides a model for reducing the consumer appeal of firearms.
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