In this episode, our host Mighty Fine talks with Russell Krumnow and Dr. Emmy Betz about suicide prevention and firearm safety. In the United States, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death among adults. When we talk about suicide, we also need to talk about firearms as 1/2 of all suicides are by firearms and 1/2 of firearm deaths are suicide. It is so important that conversations take place about how suicide and firearms interconnect - even if those conversations may be difficult. Listen in to learn more about what efforts are taking place in addressing these public health issues.

Russell Krumnow is Senior Director at Convergence, an organization that convenes groups with divergent views to build trust, identify solutions, and take action on critical national issues. He oversees much of the organization's programmatic work including their recent Dialogue on Guns & Suicide Prevention resulting in a set of strategies from a diverse group that can be found here: https://reports.convergencepolicy.org/

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, is an emergency physician and researcher at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where she directs the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative. She also co-founded the Colorado Firearm Safety Coalition and gave a TEDx talk on firearm suicide prevention. This podcast reflects her views, not those of her employers. Follow her on Twitter: @EmmyBetz

 This podcast is sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)was established in 1987, and is a  voluntary health organization that gives those affected by suicide a nationwide community empowered by research, education and advocacy to take action against this leading cause of death.Their mission is to Save Lives and Bring Hope to Those Affected by Suicide.

AFSP is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide.  AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health by engaging in the following core strategies:

• Funding scientific research
• Educating the public about mental health and suicide prevention
• Advocating for public policies in mental health and suicide prevention
• Supporting survivors of suicide loss and those affected by suicide