Washington, D.C., September 9, 2022 – This National Suicide Prevention Month, Brady is calling for increased focus on the epidemic of firearm suicide, which is a leading cause of gun deaths affecting communities nationwide.
The inaugural Firearm Suicide Prevention Day, established by Brady and End Family Fire, is being observed this year on Tuesday, September 13. The day was created to promote the importance of storing firearms safely — guns should be locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition — which is an essential component of suicide prevention. Firearm suicide is a leading kind of “family fire,” which is a shooting in the home involving an improperly stored or misused gun that results in death or injury.
“Firearm suicides have outnumbered gun homicides every year since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began collecting data in 1981,” said Brady President Kris Brown. “Yet three in four Americans are unaware that the majority of gun deaths are suicides — because we do not talk about it. We need to address firearm suicide — and how to prevent it — and that starts by designating a day every September to raise awareness on this growing public health epidemic.”
Delaying someone’s access to a gun by even a few moments can give them a second chance at life. More than 90% of people who survive a suicide attempt do not go on to die by suicide. It is critical we have conversations on how families can protect themselves and their loved ones by practicing safe firearm storage. Firearm Suicide Prevention Day was created to better facilitate these vital discussions and provide life-saving resources. Partners include the American Psychological Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), This Is Our Lane, T Lock, First H.E.L.P., Everytown for Gun Safety, Los Angeles County Medical Association, Newtown Action Alliance, Ethan Miller Song Foundation, March For Our Lives, Change the Ref, Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), and more.
Brady’s End Family Fire program is a partnership with the Ad Council to encourage safer gun storage practices in the home through Public Service Announcements and other activities
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to reach the free and confidential 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
The nonpartisan End Family Fire program encourages safe gun storage by putting a name to the preventable tragedies that occur when guns in the home are misused. “Family fire” refers to a shooting involving an improperly stored or misused gun found in the home that results in death or injury. Incidents of family fire include suicides, unintentional shootings, and other gun-related tragedies. The program aims to bring awareness to the issue of family fire, give gun owners a role in gun violence prevention, and encourage a national dialogue around safe storage practices—all of which can help prevent tragedies of family fire. End Family Fire’s nationally syndicated PSAs remind gun owners to store their firearms locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition. The program also drive audiences to EndFamilyFire.org for tips to make their homes safer and resources for those seeking more information about the issue of gun suicide.
As one of the nation’s leading gun-violence-prevention groups, Brady has extensive resources available on the topic of gun suicide:
EndFamilyFire.org
Recommendations for Reporting on Suicide, Joint Project by Leading Experts
The Truth About Suicide and Guns, Brady Report 2021
Firearm Suicide Risk Among Veterans and Military Service Members, Brady Online Resources
Preventing Gun Suicides Among Youth, Team ENOUGH
Episode 199: "This Only Happens to Other People, Until it Happens to You:" A Father on Suicide and Firearm Storage (Part 1)
Episode 200: “A Survivor on the Tremendous Responsibility of Gun Ownership (Part 2)
Episode 124: “Surviving Firearm Suicide”
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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