Statement attributable to:
Ryan D. Mire, MD, FACP
President, ACP
WASHINGTON June 23, 2022 – The American College of Physicians (ACP) was disappointed to see the Supreme Court decision that was issued today that strikes down an existing New York state licensing requirement to carry a handgun. In recent months we have seen horrific examples of the harm that firearms can cause. Instead of loosening requirements and restrictions on firearms, we should be looking to enact new policies that would help to reduce the rate of firearms-related injuries and deaths in this country.
Firearms violence is a public health crisis that needs action now. Today’s decision moves us in the wrong direction on this issue. ACP believes that our communities and all of us who live in them, deserve measures that would help to protect public safety and prevent firearm deaths and injuries. We hope that we may soon see the passage of new federal legislation in Congress that would put in place the start of much needed reforms to our country’s regulation of firearms. While that would begin to turn us in the right direction, more needs to be done. We will continue to press congressional legislators and other policymakers to keep our patients and our communities safe.
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About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 161,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Contact: Laura Baldwin, (215) 351-2668, lbaldwin@acponline.org