EVENTS/CALENDAR

Published May 26, 2022 | By Lindsay Smith Rogers

Following gun violence tragedies, familiar myths get recycled and recirculated—myths that distract from effective solutions and create smoke screens around the essential problem: We’re more interested in protecting sellers and buyers of guns than the public, Daniel Webster, ScD ’91, MPH, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, said in an interview. 

A few myths that have surfaced in recent days:

MYTH: URBAN HOMICIDES FALSELY INFLATE STATISTICS ON U.S. GUN DEATHS.

FACT: “The common trope is that places like Baltimore or Detroit or Chicago are the reason we have so many gun deaths in this country,” Cass Crifasi, PhD ’14, MPH, the Center’s director of research and policy,  told the Chicago Tribune. “And yes, those places … have unacceptable rates of gun homicides. But the places with the highest rates of death are not Maryland, Michigan, and Illinois. They are Mississippi, Louisiana, Wyoming, Missouri, and Alabama. The places with weaker gun laws have higher rates of death.” 

“More people died from guns in Texas than Illinois, when suicide and accidental shootings are included,” she added. 

MYTH: MASS SHOOTINGS, LIKE THE ONES IN TEXAS AND BUFFALO, ARE THE RESULT OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. 

FACT: While motives in the Uvalde massacre are still unknown, “increasingly, we are seeing people who are frustrated, angry and hateful and using firearms take that out on a particular group,” Crifasi told MarketWatch.  

But there’s a distinction between this and a diagnosable mental health issue. It’s also dangerous and irresponsible to link gun violence and mental health. For one thing, mental health issues are far more common than mass shootings: More than 50% of people will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lives, according to the CDC. 

Fixating on motives and the mental health of those who perpetuate violence distracts from more actionable approaches to reducing gun violence, Crifasi said.

MYTH: IN MOST MASS SHOOTINGS, PERPETRATORS DO NOT KNOW THE PEOPLE THEY KILL.

FACT: Nearly 70% of mass shootings involve domestic violence, Lisa Geller, MPH, state affairs advisor for the Center, told 12 News in Arizona. 

In a study published in 2021, Geller and colleagues found that in over 68% of mass shootings, the perpetrator killed at least one partner or family member and had a history of domestic violence. 

Restricting access to guns by people with a history of domestic violence could curb the occurrence of mass shootings and fatalities, the study suggested. 

MYTH: THERE ARE MORE GUN DEATHS IN THE U.S. BECAUSE AMERICA IS A VIOLENT SOCIETY.

FACT: “Most countries don’t have a problem with fatal mass shootings,” Webster told Fox News in LA. “Most countries do not have anywhere close to the rates of homicides that we do. It’s driven principally … because we have decided to make guns readily available to almost anyone, and our interests seem to be more in protecting those who sell weapons and want to own them as opposed to the broader public.” 

MYTH: WE DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO TO CURB GUN VIOLENCE.

FACT: Data collected by researchers about mass shootings show discernible patterns and opportunities for intervention. The data also suggest that many of the ways we’re currently trying to prevent gun violence are wrong—but the good news is that we now have evidence-backed solutions to do better. 

MYTH: MORE GUNS IN MORE PLACES WILL MAKE US SAFER.

FACT: “If firearms everywhere made us safer … we would be the safest place in the world,” Crifasi said in an episode of Public Health On Call. 

“We have more guns than people in this country, yet we are the only country that continues to experience exceptionally high rates of firearm homicide and fatal mass shootings occurring with regularity.” 

MYTH: THERE’S A HUGE DIVIDE BY GUN OWNERSHIP OR POLITICS ON POLICIES THAT WORK TO REDUCE GUN DEATHS, AND THAT’S WHY WE CAN’T ENACT THE KIND OF CHANGE NEEDED TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE.

FACT: “Many Americans, including the majority of gun owners, support evidence-based policies,” Crifasi said during a recent briefing on gun violence solutions. 

Research has shown that most Americans support gun laws that include background checks, permits, and minimum age requirements. A law requiring gun purchasers to first get a license from law enforcement, for example, is supported by more than 75% of Americans, 63% of gun owners, and 70% of Republicans, Crifasi said.

“Many people agree that there are certain situations where it’s dangerous for an individual to have access to firearms. … Many Americans also recognize that there are spaces that are too sensitive for people to legally carry firearms,” Crifasi said. 

Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast and the associate director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 

July is BIPOC Mental Health Month, formerly recognized as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Inspired by the vision and advocacy of author Bebe Moore Campbell to educate and provide tools for the overall improvement of BIPOC Mental Health and well-being of individuals and communities of color. 

On June 2, 2008, a bipartisan and bicameral Congress recognized formally recognized the month of July as Bebe Moore Campbell National MinorityMental Health Awareness Month.

As we seek to provide education and tools for the overall betterment of BIPOC mental health, we must not ignore how and where this started: in the hands of a woman wanting a better experience for her child living with mental illness. July would not be dedicated to the mental health and well-being of individuals and communities of color if it were not for the tireless work of Bebe, her loved ones, and other mental health advocates who took on this work after she passed away in 2006.

Bebe Moore Campbell was a pioneer and an author, who used storytelling to give insight into the people that deserved more of a voice – Black women, caregivers of those with mental health conditions, Black individuals living with mental health conditions, and all people of color. Over the course of her life, Bebe took on several roles, including mother, activist, writer, daughter, commentator, friend, and teacher. Bebe’s legacy continues to inspire a national movement for mental health equity. The movement continues today as we focus on the creation of a health justice ecosystem grounded in effective care, universal compassion, cultural humility, and the use of appropriate mental health interventions instead of harmful criminal legal interventions.

A new analysis report from KFF found that suicide death rates increased by 12 percent in the decade from 2010 to 2020 — with death rates rising fastest among people of color, younger individuals, and people who live in rural areas. Among people of color, the highest increase in suicide death rates was among Black people (43% increase), followed by American Indian or Alaska Natives (41%), and Hispanic people (27%). As of 2020, American Indian and Alaska Native people had the highest suicide death rate, at 23.9 per 100,000 people – substantially higher than the rate for White people (16.8 per 100,000 people). Suicide death rates for Black, Hispanic, and Asian and Pacific Islander people were all less than half the rate for White people. In response to this crisis, on July 16, 2022, the Federal government will launch a newly mandated 988, which will be available to all landline and cellphone users. This three-digit number will provide access to over 200 local and state funded crisis hotline networks and centers. 988 callers experiencing Mental Health and/or Suicidal crises will be connected to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline where they’ll receive access to a crisis counselor, receive counseling, referrals, resources, and in some cases, mobile crisis unit in areas where it is available. To learn more about this report and the new 988 number, click here.

There’s been a significant shortage of baby formula in the U.S. over the last year, in part due to COVID-19. But a recent bacterial contamination caused a recall that also greatly impacted these shortages, creating concern for parents trying to keep their kids fed. With the number of U.S. births increasing for the first time in seven years, finding food for our newborn children is crucially important.

Solutions for finding baby formula

There are ways you can improve your search for baby formula, especially if you’re unable to find any close to home. Here are some potential solutions that can help you locate what you need.

Search in less densely populated areas

Try pharmacies, mom-and-pop shops, food banks and smaller retailers to find the formula you’re looking for. Neighborhoods that are less densely populated or have fewer babies may have higher supply availability. It couldn’t hurt to make some phone calls to those areas or make some short road trips

Check in with your pediatrician’s office at West Oakland

If you’re not sure where to look for formula, you can always call your pediatrician’s office. They could point you in the right direction or tell you if they have any extra formula in stock.

When can you replace baby formula with solid food?

It’s recommended for babies to continue drinking breast milk or formula until they’re 1 year old. But babies as young as 4 months old can start to have solid foods in addition to formula.

Typically, pediatricians suggest introducing solid foods between 4 months and 6 months of age so your baby can develop tolerance to different tastes and textures. But if you’re going to introduce solid foods, your baby should be able to:

• Hold their head up straight independently without the support of a chair.
• Keep food in their mouths without spitting it out.
• Roll their tongue back to swallow.

One important thing to note: Solid foods still aren’t as nutritional as most formulas.