Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH President | Official website
The American Medical Association (AMA) has expressed approval of the recent Supreme Court decision supporting the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in regulating ghost guns. According to the AMA, this decision will contribute to preventing untraceable weapons from reaching criminals.
"Ghost guns—unregistered firearms that are readily found online and that can be easily assembled from inexpensive kits—are distributed without serial numbers in unrecorded transactions and without the background checks required to legally obtain a firearm, making them the weapon of choice for criminals," stated the AMA. The ATF's regulation mandates that manufacturers of ghost gun parts comply with federal requirements similar to those imposed on commercial gun makers. This includes obtaining federal firearm licenses, marking products with serial numbers, conducting background checks, and maintaining transfer records.
The AMA highlighted that firearm violence has been considered a healthcare crisis since 1968. In 2022 alone, over 48,000 individuals lost their lives due to firearm-related incidents. The organization advocates for treating homemade firearms under the same laws as traditional ones as part of common-sense measures endorsed by physicians to reduce deaths and address this public health issue.
An AMA-led brief in Bondi v. VanDerStok urged the Supreme Court to uphold the ATF rule as consistent with the Gun Control Act. Joining the AMA in this effort were several medical organizations including the American Academy of Family Physicians and Texas Medical Association.
"The AMA supports continued efforts to prevent firearm injuries and deaths and remove the ever-increasing threat of firearm violence that confronts our patients, our communities and our country," emphasized an AMA representative.
The AMA declared firearm-related violence a public health crisis in 2016. For more insights on unregistered firearms, readers can refer to a viewpoint by AMA President Bruce A. Scott, M.D., or learn about their youth gun violence prevention campaign launched with the Ad Council last February.
