With the federal election approaching, the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) is calling on all parties to support pharmacare and tougher gun controls. However, some members at the society’s recent annual meeting questioned why climate change was left off the advocacy agenda... ... Gun control has become another flashpoint for physician advocacy after shootings in the United States and Canada, provoking push-back from gun lobby groups. One group had supporters file regulatory complaints against a Toronto trauma surgeon, alleging her advocacy constituted immoral and unprofessional behaviour. However, according to Moore Hepburn, “firearm injuries are a public health emergency and our response should be designed as such.” Firearms remain a major cause of preventable death and disability in Canada, she said. Many non-powder guns, such as BB guns, are not regulated because they shoot projectiles at speeds less than 500 feet per second — still fast enough to pierce skin and eyes. The CPS is calling for the regulation of these guns as firearms, as well as a national ban on civilian-owned handguns and assault-style firearms. The organization is also calling for a national suicide prevention action plan, as most firearm deaths among youth are suicides ...
Language: en
%G en %I Canadian Medical Association %@ 0820-3946 %U http://dx.doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.109-5788