5 surprising things to know about firearm storage

October 24, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

Public Health’s LOCK-IT-UP program has spent some time talking to gun owners to learn what they think about firearm storage and safety. We know that more than half of gun owners in King County are already locking their firearms up when they aren’t in use, and we were curious about what helped them make that […]

Public Health and medical community pledge to decrease gun violence

June 19, 2018.Reading time 10 minutes.

Healthcare providers have firsthand experience with the devastating impact firearm injuries and deaths have on individuals, families, and our communities. In a survey of internal medicine physicians, a majority reported having a patient that was injured or killed by a firearm.

For that reason, Public Health is joining with leading medical professional associations to form a new collaboration with a renewed commitment to decrease firearm-related injury and deaths by working together and using a public health approach.

A tour of Public Health in action: LIVE from Public Health Week

April 6, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

What are the many ways Public Health touches your life? For Public Health Week, we took to the streets to learn how public health professionals are working to promote health across King County. From restaurant inspectors to school-based health providers to STD experts, our staff went live on Facebook to show us how they get […]

Medical Examiner’s Report: What we learned from those we lost in 2016

December 19, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

Last year, 14,373 people died in King County. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office (MEO) investigated those deaths that were sudden, unexpected or unnatural – 2,494* in total. But, the count of life lost is more than a number. By tracking and analyzing different manners of death as well as trends in homicides, traffic fatalities, […]

LOK-IT-UP to protect King County’s children

October 31, 2017.Reading time 6 minutes.

Every five days on average, a child or teen is killed or hospitalized by gunfire in Washington state. Nationally, 8,400 children are killed or hospitalized every year from firearms. Safe storage of firearms can prevent many of these tragedies and save lives, but people need to be educated on solutions. U.S. Senator Patty Murray asked […]