Today, Explained A gun policy game-changer
Jun 16, 2022
Megan Ranney, an emergency physician and academic dean at Brown University's School of Public Health, discusses America’s gun violence epidemic as a critical public health crisis. She highlights the historical impact of the Dickey Amendment on research funding and advocates for a shift in perception—viewing firearm injury prevention as a public health initiative rather than a political issue. Ranney emphasizes the importance of federal funding for effective research and the need for evidence-based strategies to mitigate harm in communities.
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Dickey Amendment's Impact
- The Dickey Amendment forbade the CDC from advocating gun control, which they already couldn't do.
- This, however, was interpreted as a ban on all gun violence research funding, effectively freezing it.
Research Funding Gap
- For 24 years, gun violence research was severely underfunded, receiving less than 0.7% compared to similar mortality issues.
- This lack of funding hindered effective prevention programs due to the absence of evidence-based data.
Dickey's Regret
- Ironically, Jay Dickey later admitted his amendment was a mistake, regretting not specifying continued, restricted research.
- He realized the need for gun violence research similar to car safety studies.