Firearms are responsible for approximately 30,000 deaths each year in the United States, 4,000 of which are children. Dr. McAllister became aware of these concerning statistics while he was a medical resident and on active duty on the US Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. At that time he initiated a research project to identify how many of his patients lived in a home with a gun, and also to see if the firearms training (which includes safety training) which all members of the military receive translated into safer firearm practices at home.
The study continued in Ohio after he was transferred to a new base, and a group of non-military pediatricians also looked at the civilian families in the areas. The study, Children and Firearms in the Home: A Southwestern Ohio Ambulatory Research Network (SOAR-Net) Study was published in the July-August 2007 issue of The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice. The study found that military families were more likely to have a gun in the house (28% of military families owned a gun compared to 18% of civilian families), and, despite extensive safety training, are just as likely to store it improperly (loaded or unlocked or both). Dr. McAllister and his colleagues also found that pediatricians in that community were not very good about advising parents on gun safety.
Because of the risk of guns to children, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that guns be removed from homes in which children live if possible, or be stored safely (locked and unloaded) if they must remain in the house. Guns provide a great temptation to children and even if they are taught all of the appropriate safety rules, studies show that, given the opportunity, children are likely to play with guns inappropriately.
Dr. McAllister advises all parents who have a gun in the home to keep it locked and unloaded to protect children. Even if you do not own a firearm, parents should teach weapon safety to children, since they may encounter them at a friend's house or other unsupervised location.
The topic of gun ownership and gun safety can be controversial with individuals holding very strong opinions about their rights to have a gun in the home. Dr. McAllister encourages all families to consider the safety of their children and the natural curiosity of children when deciding if they need a gun in their home, and on the best way to store the weapon if they do need to have it.
