What is the Lethal Means Safety Subcommittee?

This Subcommittee originally started as the Firearm Safety and Lethal Means Reduction workgroup. As the leading means for death by suicide is firearms, the initial focus of this group was on firearm safety. The workgroup tasked themselves with holding focus groups for members of the firearm community and met with firearm and gun shop owners across the state on what they think is important in suicide prevention and how to talk with them about the subject. This project resulted in five recommendations from the firearm community on how to engage with them. Recommendations started to go into effect within a year with the creation of the Oregon Firearm Safety Coalition. With this project completed, the group designation changed to a standing Subcommittee and the focus of work changed from solely looking at firearms as a means to the second and third leading means of suicide in Oregon – suffocation and poisoning.