In America, nearly 1.7 million children live in a home with a loaded, unlocked gun, and a staggering 40 percent of homes with children have a gun.  On Tuesday, June 21, 2011, organizations and individuals around the country will celebrate National ASK (Asking Saves Kids) Day.  Held annually on the first day of summer, a season when children play more often in other homes, ASK Day reminds parents about the importance of asking if there are guns in the homes where their children play.

Parents ask all sorts of questions to protect their children when they go play at the home of a friend, neighbor or caregiver.  But there is one important question that more than half of parents say it never even occurred to them to ask: “Is there a gun in your home?”  If the answer is no, that is one less thing to worry about.  If the answer is yes, parents are urged to ensure that the guns are stored locked and separate from ammunition, preferably in a gun safe.

The official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics estimates in North Carolina alone more than 168,000 children and teens live in homes with loaded guns, and more than 82,000 live in homes with guns that are loaded and unlocked.  ASK is a national public health initiative that provides something real every parent can do to keep their children safe.  The ASK campaign encourages parents to ASK if there are guns in the homes where their children play.  It is a simple idea that is undoubtedly saving lives.

 

More information is available at www.askingsaveskids.org or www.ncgv.org