MMA Board Passes Policies on Firearm Safety and Suicide Prevention

May 25, 2023

At its May 20 meeting in St. Paul, the MMA Board of Trustees approved three policies – two dealing with firearm safety measures and one on suicide prevention. All three were submitted to the Pulse by the MMA’s Public Health Committee. 

One item included revising existing policy on firearm locks. Previously, MMA policy supported mandating the use of a locking device on all firearms stored in homes where children 18 years of age and younger are present or reside. The policy proposal submitted by the Committee was amended by the Board, and the adopted language states that the MMA supports mandating and promoting the use of locking devices on all firearms stored in the home.  

Via the Pulse, this policy proposal generated 140 "yes" votes from members, 25 "no" votes. Six members voted "neutral." 

A second item urged the MMA to support state legislation that authorizes the use of firearm ownership data for public health research or epidemiologic investigations. It also directed the MMA to support state and federal legislation to establish a waiting period of at least one week before purchasing any form of firearm in the U.S., as well as calling for background checks for all firearm purchasers. In addition, it directed the MMA to support legislation requiring the licensing/permitting of firearms-owners and purchasers, including the completion of a required safety course, and registration of all firearms. The policy proposal, as recommended by the Committee, was adopted by the Board. 

This policy proposal generated 155 "yes" votes from members, 20 "no" votes. Two members voted "neutral." 

The third item dealt with several recommendations the MMA should pursue on suicide prevention including:   

• working to combat stigma regarding mental health conditions through the normalization of discussions around depression and suicide and screening of these issues.  

• supporting programs and policies that will work to address these social drivers of health with the goal of decreasing suicide risk.  

• supporting the incorporation of anti-bullying messaging into schools.  

• educating physicians and disseminating tools that encourage conversations between physicians and patients that use a harm reduction approach, and that are tailored to each patient’s needs. 

• supporting initiatives that aim to increase connectedness in one’s community and family structure; promote culturally appropriate messaging about suicide; and provide individual, interpersonal, and community level approaches to addressing and preventing suicide among these populations 

• supporting and advocating for strategies to improve access and availability of mental health resources such as increased funding for more mental health facilities and hospital beds; increasing the numbers of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals, with attention to the shortages that exist in rural and underserved areas.  

• advocating for adequate coverage of mental health conditions by insurance providers. In addition, the MMA also encourages the investigation of new models of healthcare delivery that aim to ease the burden on current healthcare providers and increase the availability of mental health care services. 

• encouraging Minnesota’s medical schools and residency programs to incorporate suicide risk assessment and management into their curriculum. The MMA will also encourage medical specialty societies to offer continuing medical education on assessing and managing suicide risk for their members. The MMA will also continue to promote physician participation in evidence-based suicide prevention training programs such as Question-Persuade-Refer (QPR) and Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM). 

• continuing to work to address the factors and stigma that are contributing to suicide – both among physicians and physicians-in-training. 

The policy proposal generated 166 "yes" votes from members, three "no" votes. Three members voted "neutral." This policy proposal, as recommended by the Committee, was also adopted by the Board. 

The Pulse, available only to MMA members, can be used to submit policy proposals for MMA consideration, vote on policy proposals prior to MMA Board action, and provide feedback on decisions made by the MMA Board.