Texas Gun Violence as a Public Health Issue: Part III

“Physicians minister to the human body. We feel we have a duty to not only cure disease but to prevent disease, death and disability. Our calling is to improve the health not only of the patients in our care on a particular day, but of our communities, coast to coast. Physicians must have dialog with their patients over firearm violence.”— Wayne Riley, MD After 26 Texans lost their lives in the November 7, 2017 Sutherland Springs, Texas shooting, Texas Representatives Nevarez and Collier pushed for the state to address gun violence as a public health issue. The shooting occurred not even five weeks after the Las Vegas tragedy which injured 567 and killed 59 individuals. This third part of the TI series on gun violence as a public health issue will provide an overview of the public health approach, which has long been used to deal with injuries in addition to a large range of causes of death and illness. The model is applied to promote health and life in the presence of prolifi