Living more safely with guns
There are ways to bring together both sides of the nation’s gun debate to address the public health threat of firearm violence in the United States, which claims an estimated 33,000 lives annually and puts the nation at…
The public health case for gun control
In the wake of the shooting of two journalists on live television in Virginia on August 25, 2015, several news stories have referenced gun violence research by David Hemenway, professor of health policy at Harvard T.H. Chan School…
Today’s racial violence has long roots in the past
August 3, 2015 -- A recent string of racially motivated violence in the U.S.—including the horrific shooting deaths of nine people in a black church in Charleston, South Carolina in June—is deeply connected with a violent past that…
Keeping guns out of the wrong hands
Requiring those seeking gun permits to apply in person to local police departments is likely a more effective way to prevent gun-related violence than requiring a federal background check, according to David Hemenway, professor of health policy at…
Mass public shootings increasing in U.S.
June 19, 2015 — On June 17, nine people were killed when Dylann Roof allegedly opened fire in Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. David Hemenway, director of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center and Harvard Youth Violence Prevention…
Paper showing link between firearm ownership and suicide rates wins award
A paper by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has been awarded the Jess Kraus Award in Injury Epidemiology. The annual award, announced June 9, 2015, recognizes the “paper of the year” chosen by Injury…
Scientists agree: Guns don’t make society safer
Scientists who conduct research on gun violence overwhelmingly agree that firearms make society more dangerous, according to a recent poll conducted by David Hemenway of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Hemenway, an expert on the public…
Poll of Mass. police chiefs finds respondents favor discretion in issuing concealed gun permits
For immediate release: April 16, 2015 Boston, MA – Who decides who can carry concealed firearms legally? Should local police chiefs have a say? Massachusetts police chiefs think so. A new survey finds that a large majority of…
Doctors fight gun ‘gag laws’
Doctors across the country are taking action against ‘gag laws’ that would prevent then from asking patients if they have guns in their homes. One such law, passed in Florida in 2011, is currently being fought in the…
Will arming women on campuses make them safer? No, says expert
Ten states are currently considering measures that would allow people to carry firearms on college campuses. And some lawmakers say that arming students could help make women safer by preventing rapes. But all evidence points to the contrary,…