More than a quarter of Americans view guns as top public health threat

Firearms are now the leading cause of death for US children and teenagers

A woman protests against gun violence outside of the Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen, Texas. AFP

Access to firearms is now considered the top threat to public health in the US, according to a new survey that comes as mass shootings and gun violence spiral across the country.

Twenty-six per cent of people surveyed in an Axios/Ispos poll released on Thursday said gun and firearm access is the greatest health danger, up from 17 per cent in February.

The next biggest threat is opioids and fentanyl, with 25 per cent of respondents identifying the powerful drugs as some of the greatest risks to US public health.

Ispos reported that Democrats were increasingly worried about gun violence, while Republicans were more focused on drugs.

“With the ongoing drumbeat of tragic mass shootings, it should not be a surprise that access to guns has risen to be one of America's top public health concerns,” president of Ipsos US Public Affairs Cliff Young told Axios.

The US continues to be divided over how to preserve the constitutional right to bear arms while also addressing an epidemic of deadly shootings.

At least 227 mass shootings have taken place so far in 2023, data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive shows.

Critics suggest it is odd to connect guns to public health, however the top US health agency has revealed that firearm fatalities are now the leading cause of death for American children and teenagers.