EAST evidence-based statement on “Stand Your Ground” laws

• Published in: The journal of trauma and acute care surgery Vol. 93; no. 3; pp. e123 - e124
• Main Authors: Kaufman, Elinore J., Zakrison, Tanya L., Hoofnagle, Mark H., Tatebe, Leah C., Rattan, Rishi, Murphy, Patrick B., Smith, Randi N., Joseph, D’Andrea K., Yeh, D. Dante, Haut, Elliott R., Como, John J., Christmas, A. Britton, Claridge, Jeffrey A., Stein, Deborah M., Jung, Hee Soo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01-09-2022
• ISSN: 2163-0755; 2163-0763
• DOI: 10.1097/TA.0000000000003682

Trauma surgeons have a mission to prevent injury as well as to treat it, and must address the underlying social and structural factors that expose individuals, communities, and populations to preventable injury. Laws regulating the sale, possession, carriage, and use of firearms have major health consequences deserving of our attention. This EAST evidence-based statement reviews and summarizes the literature on Stand Your Ground laws. Whereas previously civilians had a duty to retreat prior to the use of deadly force, Stand Your Ground laws remove this duty and allow civilians to use deadly force as a first response to a perceived threat. 42 states have a version of this policy in place. Strong, consistent evidence demonstrates that Stand Your Ground laws have no benefit in preventing violent crime and are instead associated with increases in homicide and inequity.