Store it Safe Awareness Month Encourages Safe Firearm Storage Discussions
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (Ohio AAP) is raising awareness of ways to prevent accidental firearm injuries or suicide in children through Store It Safe Awareness Month in November. Nationally, 1 out of 3 homes with kids has a firearm, and nearly 1.7 million kids live in a home with a loaded and unlocked firearm.
"Twenty-five percent of Ohio counties have had firearm-related accidental injuries and deaths in children under 18 since 2015," said Melissa Wervey Arnold, CEO, Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics. "It was clear we needed to address this growing issue by raising awareness with families."
During Store It Safe Awareness Month the Ohio AAP is encouraging everyone to:
- Store it Safe! Ensure all firearms are secured in a lock box when not on the body of the owner
- Talk to kids about firearm safety – even if there isn't a firearm in their home or if all firearms in the home are secured
- Ask about the presence and storage of firearms in all homes children will be visiting
- Join in the conversation on social media using #StoreItSafe
The Ohio Children's Trust Fund (OCTF) is one partner helping the Ohio AAP share this message in November. Lindsay Williams, Executive Director, Ohio Children's Trust Fund, shared "Our injury prevention partnership with the Ohio AAP has always focused on evidence based practices. Educating families about safe firearm storage is a simple way to help keep kids safe, much like talking to families about how to safely store medications."
Store It Safe Awareness Month is a program supported by the Ohio AAP and the Partnership for Safety of Children Around Firearms, which includes Buckeye Firearms Association, Black Wing Shooting Center, Kiwanis Club of Columbus and many other interested parties. For more information about firearm safety and Ohio AAP's initiatives, visit: http://ohioaap.org/firearmsafety.
The Ohio AAP promotes the health, safety and well-being of children and adolescents so they may reach their full potential. For more information, visit www.ohioaap.org.
The Ohio Children's Trust Fund is the state's sole public funding source dedicated to preventing abuse and neglect. Housed within the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the Ohio Children's Trust Fund works with its partners in every county to serve all Ohio communities.
SOURCE The Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics
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