IDPH, Brady & Ad Council Unveil Video PSA to Promote “Pause to Heal” Firearm Safety Campaign in Illinois

WATCH THE PSA httpsyoutubecCcBXvCp60This public safety effort is part of a planned multistate quotPause to Healamp8221 campaign designed to prevent firearm suicides and other shootings by educating the public about FROs or extreme risk laws Extreme risk laws like Illinoisamp8217 FRO allow family and household members to request civil orders that temporarily prevent someone in crisis from purchasing or possessing firearms FROs are proven to be highly effective as they allow a person to amp8220hit pauseamp8221 on a potentially deadly situation and secure the time they need to healUS Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy recently called for the implementation of such laws in an advisory that named firearm violence amp8220a public health crisis in Americaamp8221amp8220Firearm violence is a public health crisis that requires public health solutionsamp8221 said IDPH Director Dr Sameer Vohra amp8220The State of Illinois is proud to partner with Brady and the Ad Council to take our next step in this oneofakind public health campaign Extreme risk laws and firearm restraining orders allow families an opportunity to protect their loved ones during moments of crisis The powerful new public service announcement aims to give Illinoisans the information they need to help their loved ones amp8216Pause to Healamp8217amp8221Although extreme risk laws are effective when used a study from the Ad Council Research Institute ACRI and the Joyce Foundation found that only 10 of people in Illinois are familiar with FROs and know how and when to use them The study also highlighted that local and statelevel government agencies are key trusted messengers and that government websites are respondentsamp8217 preferred sources for informationquotFirearm Restraining Orders and Clear and Present Danger reporting are proactive measures that can reduce instances of gun violencequot said Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly quotHowever these tools are only effective if the public is aware of them and they are used This PSA further highlights the importance of Firearm Restraining Orders and the impact it has on saving livesquotThe new video PSA and overarching amp8220Pause to Healamp8221 campaign aims to bolster awareness of these interventions through ads across media types driving audiences to IllinoisgovPauseToHeal a new digital hub with local information and resources to educate Illinoisans about the stateamp8217s extreme risk lawIn this new PSA awardwinning directing duo SiampampAd powerfully illustrates the healing power of FROs When a man in crisis shows signs of distress his sister implements an FRO to temporarily remove his access to a firearm The video PSA powerfully illustrates how an FRO enables his healing journey leveraging cinematic use of sound design editing cinematography and special effects courtesy of VFX production company the Mill to generate maximum emotional impact The Pause to Heal FRO campaign was spearheaded probono by the industryleading national advertising agency McKinney and awardwinning production company Caviaramp8220Firearm Restraining Orders can save livesamp8221 said Michelle Hillman Ad Council chief campaign development officer amp8220Thatamp8217s why weamp8217re so proud to partner with IDPH and Brady on our Pause to Heal campaign to educate Illinoisans on this important tool Our storytelling approach for this powerful new ad is informed by insights from our extensive ACRI research study and grounded in humanity showing that by temporarily removing a gun from a gun owner in crisis a FRO gives them time to heal We hope that by bringing to life the benefits of a FRO we will continue to raise awareness and save livesamp8221amp8220Widespread awareness of Firearm Restraining Orders is crucial to ending family fire and freeing America from gun violenceamp8221 said Brady President Kris Brown amp8220This uniquely American epidemic can only be quashed if we are all aware of the evidencebased tools we have at our disposal to protect our loved ones Public education campaigns amp8211 like End Family Fire amp8211 have been proven to empower families to take steps to keep their families safer whether itamp8217s through learning how to safely store firearms and hopefully how to initiate an FRO By sharing information in accessible ways we can empower families to use these tools to save lives and find the time needed to get help and address crisesamp8221amp8220Increasing awareness for firearm safety measures and mental health resources is critical to reducing gun violenceamp8221 said Alex Shulhafer Executive Creative Director at McKinney amp8220After partnering with the Ad Council and Brady to launch the 2023 amp8216Prepare for Misuseamp8217 campaign we were honored to team up again this time alongside the IDPH to highlight another crucial and deeply emotional aspect of gun safety suicide prevention and the FROs that can save livesamp8221The new PSA debuts at a time when the nationamp8217s gun suicide rate is at an alltime high and over 48000 people die from gun violence annually according to the CDC This data underscores the need for a comprehensive public health approach to addressing gun violence including education about extreme risk laws in the states where they are availableamp8239Illinois is one of 21 states and Washington DC that have an extreme risk law in effect The amp8220Pause to Healamp8221 campaign is an Illinoisspecific pilot soon expanding to other states and Washington DC that have variations of extreme risk laws in placeThis initiative builds upon the success of the Ad Council and Bradyamp8217s amp8220End Family Fireamp8221 campaign a unique and effective public education campaign that focuses on secure gun storage as an evidencebased solution to preventing gun violence amp8220Pause to Healamp8221 also expands on IDPH and its partner state agenciesamp8217 efforts to stem gun violence by distributing tens of thousands of free gun locks that help to prevent accidental shootings especially by young children who find guns in their homesFor more information on FROs in Illinois visit PauseToHealPosted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership selfpublishing platformClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageorgMyersBizNet

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IDPH, Brady & Ad Council Unveil Video PSA to Promote “Pause to Heal” Firearm Safety Campaign in Illinois

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IDPH, Brady & Ad Council Unveil Video PSA to Promote “Pause to Heal” Firearm Safety Campaign in Illinois

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