Keith J. Loud, MD, MSc, physician-in-chief for Dartmouth Health Children's, recently submitted his comments to The Washington Post in response to its June 18 story "Are guns the biggest killer of 'children and teens'?" In his letter, Loud provides additional context about the article, which suggests data promoted by the Ad Council claiming that firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in the United States, as the data includes 18- and 19-year-olds.
"As an adolescent pediatrician, I see every day that teens often behave more like the children they are than the adults they are becoming," Loud wrote. "...I share [reporter Glenn] Kessler’s bottom line that 'the surge of gun violence in the U.S. is horrific.' Yet it seems the intent of his piece is to suggest the threat of harm to children from firearms is overstated, and that message could backfire."
Read Loud's full letter, titled "Counterfire," in the Post here: https://wapo.st/4mmzOgM