MANISTIQUE, Mich. (WZMQ) – A statewide effort to protect children from accidental firearm deaths has made its way to the Upper Peninsula.
According to a University of Michigan study, firearm injuries have become the leading cause of death in children ages 1 to 19, both in Michigan and across the United States.
“They now outrank traffic accidents and other unintentional forms of death or injury in children,” said LMAS District Health Department Public Information Officer Leann Espinoza. “When things are left unattended, accidental deaths happen because kids find things and they’re curious.”
That’s why the LMAS District Health Department is providing free gun locks to the public, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Michigan State Police.
“No questions asked,” Espinoza said. “It comes in a nice little package. When you open the package, there’s this key, cable lock style. When you open the lock, it pulls out and it goes through the gun.”
Each gun lock comes with an instructional guide that includes pictures. Additional information is available at ProjectChildSafe.org.
“It’s super important for health departments to provide this service because public health is our job,” said Espinoza. “That includes things like gun safety and keeping children in the general population safe. It’s just something that we do, something that we believe in.”
For a place like the Upper Peninsula, Espinoza says something as small as a gun lock can be a huge part of that.”
“In the U.P., there’s a long history of people hunting, fishing, trapping, having firearms,” she said. “We want people to keep those rights and enjoy their freedoms, but while enjoying their freedoms, protect others as well.”
Free gun locks are available at LMAS District Health Department offices in Manistique, Munising, St. Ignace, and Newberry, as well as through Project ChildSafe police partners across the state. Visit lmasdhd.org for LMAS office addresses and contact information.
Click here to read about recent legislation requiring households with minors to keep unattended firearms unloaded and locked.
