In February 2024, Michigan enacted a safe storage law mandating secure firearm storage when minors are present, seeking to prevent children’s unintended access to firearms and ultimately curb firearm injury and death, the top cause of death in children in the United States.

Evidence-based interventions are needed to address this pressing public health issue, and researchers from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health and Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention recently secured a $998,907 grant from the National Institute of Justice to evaluate a safe storage campaign program led by End Gun Violence Michigan. The campaign is a community-led, school-based secure firearm storage campaign in schools across Michigan that seeks to promote safe storage practices in adults and prevent adolescent firearm violence.

This work, which will begin in 2025, will be one of the first to rigorously assess the impact of school-based campaigns on secure firearm storage practices. Utilizing pre- and post-campaign surveys along with school administrative data, the research will measure changes in attitudes, norms, and behaviors among adults, and assess firearm-related incidents involving students. The study will involve 30 Michigan high schools in urban, suburban, and rural areas.

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