"Love our kids, lock your guns": A community-based firearm safety counseling and gun lock distribution program

The authors evaluated a firearm safety counseling and gun lock distribution program to assess its effect on improving storage practices. Using a community-based before-after trial in an urban county in central North Carolina, the researchers recruited 112 adult gun owners recruited through a mass media advertising campaign. In the parking lot of a shopping mall, participants completed a survey, and were then provided with tailored counseling, gun safety information, a gun lock, and instructions to use it. Firearm storage practices, were assessed at baseline by survey and personal interview and telephone interview (6-month follow-up). Most participants were white (62%), men (63%), had children (58%), and owned a gun for protection (74%). At follow-up, of the 82 participants, 63 (77%) (up from 39 [48%]) reported storing their gun(s) in a locked compartment, 59 (72%) (up from 0) reported using gun locks, 61 (74%) (up from 57 [69%]) reported storing their ammunition locked in a separate location, 59 (72%) (up from 52 [63%]) reported storing their gun(s) unloaded, and 6 (7%) (down from 15 [18%]) reported storing firearms unlocked and loaded. Participants with children were more likely at baseline to store weapons unlocked and loaded (38 [59%] vs 19 [41%]); but were more likely after counseling to lock their weapons (29 [58%] vs 14 [44%]) and remove guns from the home (5 [10%] vs 0 [0%]).