Gun Safety Tips - Miami Children’s Hospital

Below is a list of facts and safety tips created by the Division of Preventive Medicine/Community Pediatrics and Safe Series Miami™ (a registered trademark of Miami Children’s Hospital.)

Facts Parents Need To Know:

1,079,301 high school students across America take a weapon to school at least once every 30 days
996,227 high school students feel too unsafe to even go to school at least once every 30 days
5.4% of high school students (9.9% of males) carry a gun at least once every 30 days
1.3 million high school students are threatened or injured with a weapon on school property at least once every year.

According to national statistics provided by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office:

Every two hours and 24 minutes, a handgun kills a child
Our children are 12 times more likely to die by gunfire than children in 25 other industrialized countries combined
Over 90 percent of unintentional shootings involving children can be attributed to a family handgun.

Safety Tips Parents Need To Know:

If you have children and are a gun owner, tale all necessary precautions
Never handle a gun in front of children
Use gun lock safety devices in firearms
Treat every firearm as if it is loaded
Always point the muzzle in a safe direction
Keep your finger off the trigger
Never rely on a mechanical safety
Know what to do in the event of a misfire
Wear protective ear and eye equipment (??XX)
Do not mix guns with alcohol, drugs or fatigue (??XX)
NEVER shoot a gun into the air
Know how to clean and store your firearm securely and safely
Learn the laws surrounding firearms
Take personal responsibility for your firearm
Strictly enforce gun safety rules in your home
Keep all firearms locked up
Talk to your children about the potential dangers of guns
Check with neighbors, friends, or relatives to ensure they will follow safe storage practices if firearms are in their homes