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MONDAY, June 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is urging parents to ask a simple question before sending their children over to play at someone’s house: “Is there an unlocked gun in your house?”<\/p>\n
The ASK Day Campaign, led by the AAP and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, is held every year on the first day of summer as a way to prevent gun injuries, which are one of the top three causes of death among children and teens.<\/p>\n
The ASK Day campaign urges parents to ask if there is a gun in the home their child will be going to, and if there is, to ask how the gun is stored. To ensure gun safety, it should be stored in a locked location and unloaded with the ammunition locked up separately. If a parent is not comfortable with the answers, they can invite the other child to play at their house instead.<\/p>\n
“Young children are naturally curious and are often unable to remember or follow safety rules. Adolescents can be impulsive,” Colleen Kraft, M.D., president of the AAP, said in a statement. “When these characteristics are combined with access to firearms, the consequences can be tragic and permanent. Asking this simple question — is there an unsecured gun in your home — is an important step every parent can take to help their kids stay safe.”<\/p>\n