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    Health Secretary Visits Clarion to Highlight Ways to Prevent Gun Violence

    October 04, 2024
    Secretary of Health Debra Bogen hands out gun lock to citizen in Clarion

    Clarion, PA – Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen visited Clarion’s Autumn Leaf Festival today to highlight investments that would address the gun violence epidemic and make Pennsylvania communities safer. During the visit, she distributed free gun locks to attendees to help ensure their firearms are safely stored and protected from unauthorized use.

     

    “By increasing the number of Pennsylvania homes safely storing firearms, we could prevent nearly a third of youth firearm deaths due to unintentional injury and suicide,” said Secretary Bogen. “We want to bring families and communities together to help prevent tragic and preventable injuries and deaths from unsecured firearms.”

     

    The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) recently received more than 1,000 gun locks from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs to distribute across the Commonwealth. Later this month, the free gun locks will also be available at all state health centers.

     

    Each free gun lock includes information regarding suicide prevention and firearm safety, acting as an important safeguard to help prevent gun-related suicides.  

     

    In 2021, more Pennsylvanians died by firearms (1,903) than in motor vehicle accidents (1,359). Of those 1,903 deaths, 993 (52%) were suicide by firearm.

     

    Firearm injuries are now the leading cause of death for American children, and the rate of firearm-related deaths for children and teens has increased in recent years, with a growing share attributed to gun assaults.

     

    The DOH gun lock giveaway is in addition to $56.5 million invested through Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2024-2025 budget, including $45 million to address and prevent gun violence in Pennsylvania communities and an $11.5 million investment in creating a statewide Building Opportunity through Out of School Time program. 

     

    In 2019, the DOH established the Division of Violence Prevention (DVP) to focus on firearm violence prevention in Pennsylvania. Residents can learn more about what the DOH is doing to prevent suicides and gun violence by visiting the Department’s website.

     

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