On Dec. 12, the Montgomery County Council passed the Suicide Awareness and Firearm Education (SAFE) Act, requiring all firearm and ammunition vendors to post information related to gun safety, suicide prevention and conflict resolution in their stores.
Former Council President Evan Glass introduced the legislation on Sept. 26 at a press conference during National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. It was met with support from advocacy groups including Moms Demand Action and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, as well as local leaders and the Montgomery County Sheriff.
Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe, one of the co-sponsors of the bill, said she was grateful that it passed. Balcombe was motivated by the high success rate of suicide by firearms and sees the new legislation as a way to combat this.
“With other forms of suicide there are intervention points,” Balcombe said in an interview with The Black & White. “If someone goes to buy a gun to kill themselves, anything that would give them pause might save their life.”
While many people see the bill as a step in the right direction, there are critics who oppose the bill, such as county resident Julio Barreto Jr., who addressed the Council during a public comments session. Barreto sees the SAFE act as unclear legislation and a way to demonize gun owners and businesses.
Supporters, however, have pushed back against these arguments. Junior Allie Cohen believes the bill has no effect on those in gun stores who don’t need the help.
“Having a pamphlet will not hurt anyone,” Cohen said. “Worst comes to worst, they throw it out, but learning proper usage of a deadly weapon is very important.”
The SAFE Act is not the only mental health initiative available to Montgomery County residents. In July 2022, the state of Maryland launched a new suicide prevention hotline. Additionally, the county has continued to support teaching its first responders on how to deal with mental health crises through a certification from the Alcohol Drug Addiction Mental Health Services Board.
“With the advent of 988 in the last year, we really took a leap forward to providing more direct ways that people can access and call in to suicide prevention,” Council Vice President Kate Stewart said.
The County has been continuously updating its policies regarding mental health and gun safety, and Balcombe believes that the SAFE Act will increase the willingness of the community to introduce additional mental health resources.
“We have wellness centers in various high schools that have mental health support, we have the suicide hotline that the county supports and we have training for police, fire and EMT,” Balcombe said. “We have good solid support, which is why this bill is important to communicate, and I feel like that we can always do more in communicating what our current resources are.”
