The BE SMART Campaign has provided educational materials and free gun locks to the Granby, East Granby and Avon communities for the past five years.
BE SMART was launched to raise awareness that secure gun storage—storing guns locked, unloaded and separate from ammunition—can save children’s lives.
BE SMART promotes responsible gun ownership, emphasizes that it’s an adult responsibility to keep children from accessing guns, and encourages every adult to play a role in community safety.
Every year hundreds of children, overwhelmingly male, access a loaded unlocked gun and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else. Normalizing conversations around gun safety and asking about unsecured guns in homes where kids are present can prevent unintentional shootings.
Researchers recently estimated that the number of children living in households with firearms in the US increased to 30 million in 2021 and 4.6 million of these children live in a home with at least one loaded unlocked gun. The more parents and caregivers who ask about the presence of unsecured guns in households, the safer children are.
Teaching children not to handle unsecured guns is important, but a 2018 meta study showed that even after attending gun safety programs children do not show a reduction in the likelihood of handling guns when they are unsupervised. No one wants to read about another child unintentionally shooting themselves or someone else.
Normalizing the conversation around gun safety enables communities to be S-M-A-R-T: Secure all guns in homes and vehicles, Model responsible behavior around guns, Ask about unsecured guns in other homes, Recognize the role of guns in suicide, Talk to other adults about being SMART.
More information about safe storage and normalizing the conversation around gun safety can be found at BESMARTforkids.org