Newtown’s National Firearms Group Launches Suicide Prevention Campaign

A national gun group based in Newtown has teamed up with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to do some good for the 'hood.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, based in Newtown, is the trade association for the firearms industry. Their mission is to promote, protect, and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. According to a blog I read on the website, associationsnow.com, the NSSF has joined forces with the AFSP to launch a nationwide suicide prevention campaign.

Both groups realize that, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, firearms accounted for half of all suicides in 2014 and in 2015 accounted for 56.9% of suicides in males. The pilot program began in the spring of 2016, and included the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, and New Mexico.

The major goal of these two organizations is called Project 2025, where the objective is to reduce the annual suicide rate by 20% by the year 2025. 44,000 Americans take their own lives every year and nearly half of those suicides are caused by firearms.

Bill Brassard is the senior director for communications for the NSSF and said their organization is 100% behind the Project 2025 initiative. He went on to tell the NewsTimes: 

Firearms retailers and shooting ranges are aware of the issue and want to help.

It's a start. Thank you NSSF.