America’s Only Unregulated Product; Firearms and the Public Health Gap

Firearms have become the leading cause of death among U.S. children and teens, yet unlike cars, toys, or even e-cigarettes, they remain exempt from basic consumer safety regulation. This episode explores the public health and economic costs of treating guns as constitutionally protected products rather than consumer goods, drawing on recent research and commentaries from The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and JAMA Health Forum. We highlight what a true public health approach could look like (from child locks to smart-gun technology) and why closing this regulatory gap could save lives and reduce systemwide costs.