The CDC is helping states address gun injuries after years of political roadblocks

The CDC is supporting states in tackling gun injuries after long-standing political setbacks, with a program called Firearm Injury Surveillance Through Emergency Rooms (FASTER) that gives real-time data on firearm injuries.

Setting the stage: In Utah, the majority of unintentional injuries caused by firearms are a result of standard safety precautions being overlooked, with males aged between 15 and 44 being primarily affected.
* This led to the state creating a public service campaign to prevent accidental gun injuries, made possible by CDC funding.

FASTER Program: Launched in 2020, nine states along with the District of Columbia have received funding from the CDC to establish pilot programs aimed at improving data dissemination.
* The FASTER program provides near real-time data on firearm injuries, prompting Utah to initiate its safety campaign three years ago.
* Jerry Nelson, a state firearm injury epidemiologist, pointed out difficulty in establishing a direct cause-and-effect relationship with the campaign; however, firearm injury rates have dropped to pre-COVID levels.

Confronting a longtime ban: The Dickey Amendment in 1996 had significantly hindered government research into gun violence and prevention, but a compromise in Congress in 2018 led to $25 million being made available for research.
* This enabled states participating in the FASTER program to gather data from hospital records to track patient diagnoses, providing a more complete picture of gun violence.

Looking ahead: Washington, D.C., has recently launched a public dashboard that collects diagnostic data and victim information, with results indicating a significant year-on-year increase in firearms-related hospital visits.
* New Mexico has harnessed this real-time data to focus their community violence intervention efforts in specific parts of Albuquerque.

View original article on NPR

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