Each year in the United States, nearly 260 children under the age of 18 gain access to a firearm and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else.

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America launched the Be SMART campaign to advocate for responsible gun ownership and reduce child gun deaths. Moms Demand Action volunteers encourage parents and caretakers –  gun owners and non-gun owners alike – to “Be SMART” and take these five simple steps to help prevent shootings by children:

Secure all guns in your homes and vehicles;

Model responsible behavior around guns;

Ask about unsecured guns in other homes;

Recognize the role of guns in suicide;

Tell your peers to Be SMART

Be SMART is available as a short presentation for neighborhood meetings, church groups, PTA and other community groups. Be SMART is also available to table at events with information and kid friendly activities. Look for them at community events.

Lacey Winchester is the Be SMART lead for the local chapter of Moms Demand Action.

“One thing I think every adult should be able to agree upon, when we talk about firearms, is that we want our children to be safe. The Be SMART steps are a simple way to start a conversation between any adults, whether or not either owns a gun. Making secure gun storage a routine part of each child safety conversation will prevent injury, trauma, and premature death from inappropriate firearm access,” Winchester said.

When it comes to kids’ safety, we’re all in this together! Visit BeSMARTforKids.org to learn more and get involved.

Moms Demand Action Springfield MO meets on the fourth Thursday of every month. To attend a meeting, find out more information, schedule a presentation about gun safety for your group or get involved, contact Winchester by email at lacey.m.winchester@gmail.com. You can find Moms Demand Action MO on Facebook.