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# Can pediatricians ask if you own a gun?
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/can_pediatricians_0510110821/
- Published: 2011-05-10T21:17:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-20T15:57:03.000Z
- Description: Florida's governor is expected to sign an NRA-backed bill barring pediatricians from asking parents whether they own a gun, with fines and medical board sanctions for doctors who do. The American Academy of Pediatrics and Florida Pediatric Society oppose the measure.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Miscellaneous, Health News, #vivvo-import

**by Aimee Keenan-Greene**

The [NRA](http://www.nranews.com/classic.aspx?ref=foodconsumer.org) has successfully lobbied for a [Florida ](http://www.flgov.com/?ref=foodconsumer.org)bill the Governor is expected to sign that will block [pediatricians](http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/224826.php?ref=foodconsumer.org)from asking parents if they own a gun.  
  
Proponents say question and documentation of the answer in a patient's medical record is a Second Amendment infringement.

If enacted, doctors could face hefty fines andsanctions from the state medical board.

The [American Academy of Pediatrics](http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/floridaguns2011.htm?ref=foodconsumer.org) (AAP) *an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists,* along with the Florida Pediatric Society and other physicians and medical professionals are expressing deep concerns over Florida Senate Bill 432 and House Bill 155.

The AAP says unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death in children older than 1 year.  
  
[Data](http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/CT%5Ffritz8%5F05-08-11%5FUHNOUAG%5Fv9.37201a4.html?ref=foodconsumer.org) from the [Centers for Disease Control](http://www.cdc.gov/?ref=foodconsumer.org) shows in 2006 firearms killed 3,184 children and adolescents in the US. More preschoolers died in shootings than law-enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty.   
  
According to the [2011 Rhode Island KidsCount report](http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/searchresults.asp?cx=008299334994399521686%3Ajqeai--6-ni&cof=FORID%3A11&q=guns+2010&sa=Search&ref=foodconsumer.org#970), guns are the leading cause of fatal teen violence and are used in 4 out of 5 (82%) teen homicides in the US. In 2009, there were 51 gun-related hospitalizations and 25 deaths of youths ages 15-19 due to firearms.

The [Rhode Island Department of health](http://www.health.state.ri.us/violence/about/youth/index.php?ref=foodconsumer.org) says in 2009, approximately 11 percent of Ocean State high school students reported carrying a weapon to school in the past month. 

Pediatricians play a key role in injury prevention by providing anticipatory guidance to parents during office visits to help minimize the risk of injury in the child’s everyday environment. During these visits, several aspects of the patient’s home are discussed, including swimming pools, hazardous chemicals, smoke detectors, medications, and firearms the AAP says.   
  
 “If the government begins to restrict the trust and confidentiality between a physician, a patient, and--for children--a patient’s parents, then the health and well-being of patients is placed in jeopardy. Tragedies that could have been prevented by a simple conversation will, instead, occur,” said AAP President O. Marion Burton, MD, FAAP.