Gun violence is top public health concern for Americans, study finds

More Americans believe access to guns is the number one public health concern over opioids or fentanyl

More than one in four Americans (26 per cent) believe access to guns is currently the number one threat to public health, according to a new study from Axios and the Ispos American Health Index.

The concern about firearms ranks slightly higher than other threats to public health such as opioids and fentanyl – which approximately 25 per cent of Americans believe to be the number one issue.

And these fears over gun access only continue to grow.

Since February, that number has increased nearly 10 percentage points from 17 per cent to 26 per cent with Black Americans, Democrats and those living in urban areas the most concerned about access to firearms.

This research comes at a time when America has been rocked by a spate of horror mass shootings.

Just six months into 2023 and the US has witnessed more than 200 mass shootings and more than 16,000 firearm deaths, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.

In January, a shooting in Monterey Park, California left 11 dead and nine injured – becoming the deadliest shooting so far this year.

Just two days after that shooting, another massacre occurred in Half Moon Bay, California, leaving seven people dead.

Then, in March, three children and three adults were killed during a school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee.

Earlier this month, a shooting at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas left eight dead, including three young children.

Despite growing calls for states and the federal government to implement tighter gun control legislation, little has been done to combat the violent sprees – and in some cases, gun access has actually become even easier.

A family gathers at a memorial outside the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Last year, the Supreme Court struck down a New York state gun control law that prevented people from carrying guns outside of their homes and in populated areas, arguing that it violated the Second Amendment.

After the shooting at the Nashville elementary school, residents of the area called on local and state leaders to create legislation that would make it more difficult for people to access firearms.

Three Democratic Tennessee representatives faced off against other lawmakers while advocating for gun control, leading to a protest on the floor of the Tennessee House. Two of the three lawmakers were expelled from the House but later reinstated.