How The White House Plans To Tackle Gun Suicides And Increase Gun Safety

The Biden administration on Monday released an outline of a new plan that addresses gun suicides, with special attention paid to military veterans.

In a factsheet detailing its proposals, the White House highlighted the urgency of the issue, pointing out that firearms were involved in two-thirds of all suicide deaths in the U.S.

There were 47,511 deaths from suicide in 2019, making it the 10th-highest cause of death in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Firearms were used in about half of suicide deaths. The administration is emphasizing suicide prevention and doing more to ensure firearms only reach those who will safely use them.

"Today, the Biden Administration is announcing three new actions that will help to prevent suicide, including by promoting safe firearms storage and clarifying best practices for firearms dealers," the White House said.

The measures include pooling efforts of multiple federal agencies like the Department of Justice, the Department of Veteran Affairs, and the Department of Defense to share information relating to firearm deaths.

There is also a multi-pronged strategy of pressure on gun shops to conduct better due diligence, a public education campaign, gun storage guidelines and increasing emergency medical care for at-risk veterans.

Gun stores have been frequently criticized for failures to adequately conduct background checks on prospective buyers, only to see their firearms turn up following a tragedy. Under the Biden plan, the ATF will be empowered to revoke the licenses of dealers the first time they violate federal law willingly, for not conducting background checks on buyers or by being uncooperative in ATF inspections or investigations.

There are exceptions for unspecified "extraordinary circumstances."

On the second prong, there is an extensive public education campaign for citizens as well as firearm sellers. This includes extensive public service announcements, distributions of state-wide locations where guns can safely be stored and a requirement that sellers distribute material that reminds gun owners of their legal obligations.

The strategy also specifically directs attention to the problem of firearm suicides among veterans.

According to the VA’s most recent report on suicide prevention, 69.2% of veteran suicides involved firearms, over 20% higher than the average for non-veteran American adults. This figure also showed this to be true across genders with veteran men and women both being significantly more likely to kill themselves with a gun than any other means.

The factsheet outlines plans to invest in more mental health resources for veterans through the VA and community healthcare systems. The investment would provide suicide prevention strategies and increase care management for high-risk veterans.

These efforts are being done through the executive branch, something the White House notes in its announcement. To facilitate more effective prevention measures, the administration called on Congress to do more to contribute to this cause.

“The President continues to urge Congress to pass an appropriate national 'red flag' law, as well as legislation incentivizing states to pass their own versions of these laws,” the White House said.