About PPGV
Michigan physicians, Educated and Empowered to Advocate for the Prevention of Gun Violence.
Quick facts about gun violence:
In 2020, there were a total of 45,222 deaths due to firearms in the United States. 1,454 of these deaths were in Michigan.
In 2020, firearm related injuries became the leading cause of death in people ages 1 to 19 years old.
In the United States, on average, over 40,000 people die by firearms each year. This is about 110 gun deaths per day.
It is estimated over twice as many are non fatally shot.
The majority of gun deaths are suicides.
In 2020, gun homicides increased by 33.4% as compared to the previous year.
Black Americans are 12 times more likely to be murdered by guns than white Americans.
In the United States, there are more guns than people.
Gun violence costs American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
The emotional toll of gun violence on individuals, families, and communities is incalculable.
Gun violence is preventable.
As health care professionals we have seen the horrific damage that bullets can do to the human body and have been involved in the long-term care of permanently injured gunshot wound victims. We know that these injuries are preventable and we know that as physicians, we have the opportunity and privilege to make a difference in our patients’ lives by offering life saving counseling and care.
PPGV intends to harness the voices of medical professionals in order to reduce gun deaths and injuries. We will do this by:
Educating health care providers, government officials, and the public about strategies to reduce gun violence.
Emphasizing the importance of lethal means counseling, particularly with respect to the prevention of gun suicide and unintentional shootings.
Collaborating with community partners to support creative, local interventions to reduce violence.
Supporting physicians’ protected First Amendment rights to discuss firearm injury prevention with their patients.
Providing links to current research and reporting on the prevention of firearm injuries.
Partnering with other gun violence prevention organizations to amplify the urgency of gun violence in America while working collaboratively to find solutions.
Understanding and addressing ways in which racism and systemic injustice are related to gun violence.