Gun safety PSA urges gun owners to join the conversation on preventable firearm deaths

Gun reform advocates are appealing to all those affected by gun violence, including gun owners themselves, in a new PSA released by gun violence prevention nonprofit Brady United and the Ad Council. 

Via a multimedia campaign and digital activation that mimics an incognito safe, seven people who contemplated taking their own life by a firearm make the potentially lifesaving case for proper gun storage and firearm safety — part of a broader mission to address record-high numbers of firearm deaths.

"A moment of crisis can happen to anyone," the PSA says. "Store your gun securely: locked, unloaded, and away from ammo." The personal stories live in a virtual "book safe", which also features information on safe gun storage methods and resources for those in a moment of crisis. 

The campaign is part of End Family Fire (formerly known as ASK), a joint effort from Brady United and the Ad Council launched in August 2018 to bring gun owners into the conversation about preventable firearm deaths and responsible ownership. Coined by the two organizations, "family fire" refers to a shooting caused by someone having inappropriate access to a gun in the home.

"The campaign aims to bring awareness to the issue of family fire, give gun owners a role in gun violence prevention, and encourage a national dialogue around safe storage practices — all of which can help prevent tragedies of family fire," Brady United explains. 

Partnering with creative media agency dentsu, the Safe Stories PSA, and its accompanying online digital experience, uses the true stories and narrations of people affected by at-home access to firearms to guide gun owners towards safe storage and mental health resources. 

It's an urgent response to a growing national crisis. The number of gun-related deaths in America was higher in 2021 than in any previous year, according to the latest available statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Gun suicide rates have also grown, the campaign notes, with 2021 seeing the largest one-year increase in deaths in over 40 years, accounting for more than half of all firearm deaths that year. 

"In the U.S., 67 people a day die by gun suicide, more than those lost to firearm murders and unintentional shootings combined. Access to a firearm also triples the risk of death by suicide, with suicide attempts with a gun being fatal 90% of the time on average. Evidence shows that in a moment of crisis, having a firearm that is stored securely — locked, unloaded, and away from ammunition — can prevent those fatal outcomes," the campaign notes. 

Those on the side of common sense gun reform see proper in-home gun safety as an obvious step towards decreasing gun-related deaths. In January, student activists from Students Demand Action, the youth advocacy arm of gun violence prevention organization Everytown, issued a list of 17 demands to major players in the gun industry in order to address the national gun violence crisis. Three of the demands included mention of in-home gun safety, asking gun makers to:

• Produce gun locks that are harder to crack and offer discounts or rebates on strong gun safes.

• Encourage gun owners to always lock up their firearms, even if the gun is for self-defense.

• Fund PSAs that teach gun owners how to be safer and more responsible — and call out extremists who use guns to intimidate, threaten, and harass others.

In the same vein, the End Family Fire campaign and Safe Stories PSA asks gun owners themselves to rethink their approach to gun storage. The campaign encourages:

• Storing all guns locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition.

• Asking family, friends, and members of your community about unlocked or loaded guns in their homes.

• Having conversations with family, friends, and community members about responsible gun ownership and gun safety.

• Learning about safe storage programs in your area and familiarizing yourself with the gun laws in your state.

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According to Everytown, only eight states and the District of Columbia, along with cities including New York and San Francisco, have laws mandating owners secure firearms. Other states have various laws encoding liability for children or those who are legally prohibited from accessing guns. In response, groups like Brady United and Moms Demand Action, another Everytown advocacy arm, have stepped in to educate the public about the need for better safety protocols. Moms Demand Action runs the Be SMART program, a secure gun storage campaign that teaches best practices for keeping children safe from guns in the home. 

Brady United has additional resources on responsible gun ownership, the effects of gun violence, and emerging dangers in the gun violence crisis. 

"We can't legislate our way out of America's gun violence epidemic," said Kris Brown, president of Brady United. "As with PSA campaigns and public education efforts on seatbelts and smoking, we must model safer norms and behavior around firearms and their safekeeping."

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988; the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860; or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat at crisischat.org. Here is a list of international resources.