Everytown for Gun Safety and NJ Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense

New Jersey, June 1, 2022 – The NJ Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is pleased to share resources available for two campaigns sponsored by Everytown for Gun Safety and NJ Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense:

Be SMART for Kids 

Secure firearm storage is an essential part of home safety. With more guns in more homes due to an unprecedented surge in gun sales over the past two years, it's more important than ever for parents and caregivers to know how secure storage protects children. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rise in unintentional shootings by children and gunfire on school grounds. In 2020, gun suicide among children ages 17 and under reached the highest rate in more than 20 years and firearms became the leading cause of death among children in the United States. Storing firearms securely can help prevent these tragedies and keep kids safe. 

The Be SMART campaign was developed by Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America to raise awareness that secure gun storage can save children's lives. The Be SMART framework is designed to help parents and adults normalize conversations about gun safety and take responsible actions that can prevent child gun deaths and injuries. Our local volunteers share this important safety message by tabling at community events and by giving presentations on the five simple SMART steps that every adult can take to protect children. 

Learn more at besmartforkids.org 

Contact our New Jersey volunteers at [email protected]

Extreme Risk Protective Orders Save Lives 

New Jersey has a new tool to help prevent suicide. In a moment of crisis, access to a gun can be the difference between life and death. A gun suicide death occurs every 47 hours on average in New Jersey. In 2019, New Jersey joined a handful of other states in passing the Extreme Risk Protective Order Act. An Extreme Risk Protective Order, or ERPO, temporarily restricts a person’s access to firearms when a person is at risk of harming themselves or others. ERPOs are designed to help law enforcement and concerned family members intervene quickly in dangerous situations by seeking a court order that limits that person’s access to firearms, and the order stays in effect until the court determines the person is no longer in crisis. 

To find out more about this law, visit onethingyoucando.org. 

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is working to raise awareness of this life-saving law available in New Jersey. Our volunteers welcome the opportunity to give presentations to community groups on how this ERPO law works in New Jersey. To arrange a presentation, contact [email protected]

The New Jersey Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is fueled by the mission to save lives by providing education and support to the Garden State. The grassroots work we do focuses on eliminating the loss of life from suicide by delivering innovative prevention programs, educating the public about risk factors and warning signs, raising funds for suicide research and programs, and reaching out to those individuals who have lost someone to suicide. Connect with us and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP NJ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Are you in a crisis? Please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. Or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.