Five Simple Actions Can Help Protect Kids
Everytown for Gun Safety launched the Be SMART campaign to take action to promote responsible gun ownership and reduce child gun deaths. The campaign focuses on education and awareness about child gun deaths and secure gun storage. Be SMART volunteers encourage parents and caretakers to “Be SMART” and take these five simple steps to help prevent shootings by children:
Securing Guns is Essential to Home and Community Safety
Everyone, from parents to community leaders, wants to keep children and teens safe. Kids will be kids, so it’s safest to assume that a curious, impulsive or determined child or teen could find and handle an unsecured gun, even if they’ve been told not to. When guns aren’t properly stored, tragedy can strike—whether it’s a child finding a firearm and injuring or killing themselves (intentionally or unintentionally), or someone stealing it and using it to commit crime. This is why the Be SMART message emphasizes the importance of secure gun storage. Think of secure gun storage as just another step you can take to help protect your family and community.
A SMART adult makes sure all guns are stored securely both at home and in vehicles. That means they’re stored unloaded, locked, and if possible, kept separate from ammunition when not in use—so that they are inaccessible to kids. Thankfully, there are plenty of secure gun storage options that are easy to use and effective at preventing unauthorized access. In addition, with all the varieties of storage technology, there is sure to be an affordable option that fits your needs—from lockboxes, to gun safes, to devices with biometric authentication.
Visit the Be SMART for Kids site