The group specifically seeks to prevent people from selling and owning automatic and semiautomatic weapons.
“These are military-style ‘assault’ weapons that were designed to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible,” ACP President Jack Ende, MD, wrote in a statement.
Dr. Ende went on to note the group’s history in calling for action to address firearm-related injuries and deaths. For instance, he referenced a call-to-action published two years ago in the Annals of Internal Medicine. In the call-to-action, he said ACP and a number of health professional organizations, along with the American Bar Association, provided recommendations designed to decrease firearms-related violence.
Dr. Ende also referenced a June 2016 letter in which ACP urged federal lawmakers “to enact a series of policies to decrease the threat of gun violence” following the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando.
“In light of the rising number of mass shootings, this is a serious public health issue that needs to be addressed immediately by Congress,” Dr. Ende concluded.
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