The statistics are staggering. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States—every year, more than 21,000 children and teens are shot and killed or wounded. Many of these injuries and deaths could have been prevented, as every year, nearly 360 children under the age of 18 unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else, and 4.6 million children in the U.S. live in a home with at least one unlocked and loaded firearm. Self-harm is also a major issue as, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, access to a gun triples the risk of death by suicide.

Luckily, for residents of Anne Arundel County, the Department of Health is tackling the issue with an initiative to promote safe storage of firearms—at no cost to residents. Last year, the Department of Health, in partnership with the Anne Arundel County Public Libraries, began distributing free gun safety locks to residents in an effort to promote safe storage to reduce suicides, deaths and injuries.

“What began as a pilot program has gotten so popular that we are now distributing gun locks at every library branch in the County and have distributed more than 5,000 so far,” says Dr. Tonii Gedin, Health Officer at Anne Arundel County Department of Health. “We want people to think about safe storage of firearms and take steps to keep their families safe.”

For residents 18 and older, to obtain the gun locks—which resemble a cable lock for a bicycle—all that is required is to visit your local library branch and provide your date of birth and zip code; no identification or library card are required. A maximum of two locks is allowed per visit; however, residents are allowed to return at a future time to obtain more locks.

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“We have had grandparents come to obtain a lock because even though their children are grown, their grandchildren come to visit, and they want to keep them safe. The majority of gun owners want to safely store their guns, so there has been little push back on this program,” says Gedin.

Gedin says that one of the program’s main goals is to keep guns out of the hands of children. Studies that show that 75% of children know where guns are stored, and even if they are taught the difference between toy guns and real guns, they still may mistake a gun for a toy. In Anne Arundel County, of the 114 individuals who go to an emergency room or hospital each year due to a gun related injury, 53% are due to an accidental discharge, meaning the injury was due to a mishandling of a gun.

“We are seeing an increase nationwide in suicides of children, so it’s important to keep guns out of the hands with those with suicidal ideation. As a health department, we are committed to public safety[1] and injury prevention, so securing firearms is no different than promoting the use of car seats or wearing a helmet with bicycling,” Gedin says.

Gedin says that distributing the gun locks in libraries has been a good fit. “We have a great partnership with the library system, and we utilized them during the pandemic to distribute rapid tests and masks. Libraries are free, easily accessible and people feel more comfortable going there than a government office or a police or a fire department. Also, many libraries have weekend hours, which makes it easier for people to visit. We have also partnered with social services and other community-based organizations to spread the word,” Gedin says.

Those who obtain a gun lock will receive instructions on how to use the device, and a video on the county’s Department of Health website shows how to install a gun lock for various different types of firearms. “It’s relatively simple, and we have instructions in English and Spanish,” Gedin says.