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A .357 magnum is displayed with a gun lock. | Photo by U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Beaux Heber
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In response to the public health crisis of gun violence, the Los Angeles County Medical Association, L.A. Care Health Plan and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Office of Violence Prevention are collaborating on a digital billboard campaign promoting the use of gun locks to keep children and youth safe from accidental gun violence inside the home. The campaign is funded by the Los Angeles County Medical Association and L.A. Care Health Plan.
According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control, between 2003 and 2021, accidental gun deaths of children 17-years-old and under, were most likely to occur in a house or apartment. Eight in 10 such incidents took place in a home; 56% happened in the child’s own home. In 2022, more than 800 deaths in L.A. County involved a firearm and 313 of these deaths were due to gun suicide.
“Gun locks are a step that every gun owner can take to ensure we don’t lose another child in a senseless firearm death,” said John Baackes, L.A. Care CEO.
“A significant portion of the gun violence that plagues our communities – especially unintentional deaths or injuries and gun suicides – can be prevented if firearms in the home are kept locked and unloaded,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Department of Public Health, in a statement Monday. “The billboard campaign and the free gun lock distribution program are critically important steps in the effort to reduce gun violence, especially gun violence involving children.”
The digital billboards – which display a young person next to the statistic that in Los Angeles County a child is either injured or killed by gun violence every 30 hours – are posted on heavily traveled portions of the 10 and 710 freeways. Another 150 “poster billboards” with the same message will be located at bus benches across the county.
“The Los Angeles County Medical Association (LACMA) is proud to stand alongside our valued partners, L.A. Care Health Plan and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, in support of this critical initiative,” Gustavo Friederichsen, CEO of LACMA added. “Gun violence exacts a devastating toll on our communities, especially our youth. By advocating for responsible gun safety measures, such as the use of gun locks, we can prevent tragic accidents and save lives.”
The billboards direct viewers to visit lockedandunloaded.org if they are interested in obtaining a free gun lock. The website features an interactive map where residents can find physical sites throughout the county that will be distributing more than 60,000 free cable gun locks, no questions asked.
