Guns: A Public Health Issue, Article Critique Example

The writer contends that firearm violence is a public health concern of major proportion. Gun violence incidences in Newtown, Conn and another in Webster, N.Y were cited as evidences of this concern being a public health issue. Victims in these two cases were firefighters, who lost their lives in the shooting altercations. Also, thirty-one thousand Americans dying at gunpoint yearly was used in highlighting the magnitude of this problem. Alternatively, it was emphasized that this amount exceeded the number of babies ‘who die yearly during their first year of life from AIDS or illicit drugs’ (New York Times, 2013).

The suggested intervention was stopping the sale of ‘assault rifles and high-capacity magazines’ (New York Times, 2013) to potential misusers of these fire arms. A call was issued for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct a study into the predisposing factors of gun violence. The results of this study should help them design policies and health promotion through public education to prevent this public health dilemma (New York Times, 2013).

Evaluation of the effectiveness of this intervention be can be conducted through studying gun violence records before, during a after the intervention. A comparative analysis of these figures could be conducted and trends after the intervention assessed in determining whether health promotion strategies based on Center of Disease Control findings are effective (New York Times, 2013).

In my opinion there is no major role for pharmacists in the resolution of this issue. They do not sell guns. However, Center for Disease Control can recruit them in assisting during the survey screening regarding predisposing factors for gun violence.

Reference

New York Times (2013). Guns: A Public Health Issue. New York Times