Thanks to the Advocacy of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Volunteers Across the Country, More Than 2 Million Students Now Live in School Districts that Distribute Secure Storage Educational Information to Parents
The Ohio chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, released the following statement applauding the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education, led by school board member Mary Wineberg, for passing a resolution to distribute information on the Be SMART program, which educates parents and gun owners about the importance of secure firearm storage, across the school district. Thanks to the work of Moms Demand Action volunteers in Ohio, the Cincinnati Public School District joins dozens of school districts from across the country who have adopted secure storage notification policies, covering over two million students.
“We are grateful to the Cincinnati School Board for heeding the call to educate families about the importance of securely storing firearms in their homes,” said Sandra Jackson, a volunteer with the Ohio chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Secure firearm storage saves lives and can prevent not only school shootings, but unintentional shootings and youth suicides. Our state is facing a clear gun violence crisis – that’s why we’ll keep working to advance gun safety in our schools and in our communities across the state.”
More than two million students across the country now live in a school district that requires schools to educate parents about the critical importance of secure firearm storage in keeping schools and students safe — including the distribution of Be SMART educational materials — thanks to the tireless advocacy of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers.
The Be SMART program, developed by the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund and Moms Demand Action, helps parents and other adults normalize conversations about gun safety and take responsible actions that can prevent child gun deaths and injuries, youth suicides, unintentional shootings and gunfire on school grounds.
The program encourages parents and adults to:
- Secure all guns in their home and vehicles
- Model responsible behavior around guns
- Ask about the presence of unsecured guns in other homes
- Recognize the role of guns in suicide
- Tell your peers to be SMART
For more information on the Be SMART program and how to safely secure your firearms, visit the Be SMART website. Additional information about unintentional shootings by children can be found here and information about gunfire on school grounds can be found here.
