Educate Gun Owners of Risks
What does it solve?
It is critical that gun buyers and permit applicants are given safety information. Requiring gun dealers to inform purchasers of the risks associated with firearms allows buyers to make educated decisions about owning and storing guns and is a meaningful step towards preventing gun violence.
Gun owners and those contemplating buying guns should learn about the risks associated with guns, including that the presence of a gun in the home significantly increases the risk of suicide, homicide, death during domestic violence disputes, and unintentional deaths to children and household members. Gun owners should also be educated on relevant secure storage laws and best practices for storing a gun securely.
Myth & Fact
Myth
Fact
How it works
Educating gun purchasers of the risks of owning firearms.
Access to a firearm significantly increases the risk of death by suicide, domestic dispute, homicide, and unintentional gunshot. Consumers should be informed of these risks prior to purchasing a firearm. They should also be informed about the importance of responsible firearm storage. Storing your guns locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition can reduce the risk of self-inflicted and unintentional death and injury among children and teens. Gun buyers should also be provided with contact information for suicide prevention support services at the point of sale.
There is no federal requirement that firearm dealers provide purchasers with information about firearms. States can and should require dealers to provide information to potential purchasers about proper storage techniques and the risks associated with firearm access. Local governments can also require firearm dealers to provide this information to gun purchasers—such a requirement is generally not preempted by state preemption laws.
By the numbers
100+
Over 100 children and teens die by unintentional gunshot every year.
3x
Access to a gun triples the risk of death by suicide.
85%
Households that lock both guns and ammunition are associated with an 85% risk reduction for unintentional gun injury among children compared to those that locked neither.
78%