Cedric Dark, MD, MPH '01, a Houston-based ER physician, is set to publish his new book "Under the Gun: An ER Doctor's Cure for the Gun Epidemic" from Johns Hopkins University Press.
The book has been summarized as "A doctor's firsthand account of the devastating impacts of gun violence—and how we can end this epidemic."
"Gun violence has become the leading cause of death for children and has decreased the lifespan of American adults by 2.5 years. In 2021, more than forty-eight thousand people were killed by guns in the United States. Nearly twice as many were injured. But beyond these statistics are the untold stories of doctors and health care workers who work to save the lives of victims of gun violence.
"In this powerful and moving book, Cedric Dark takes readers into the harrowing experiences of these physicians. Dark intertwines these stories with an examination of policies that could save countless lives. Combining research, an examination of gun culture, and an exploration of policy options, Under the Gun equips readers with a new understanding of the data and stories needed to confront and persuade politicians to better protect the health and safety of Americans.
"As an emergency room doctor whose own family has been affected by gun violence, Dark intimately understands how gun violence can destroy lives and communities. He reflects on the events that bring people to the ER while also talking to doctors who not only treat victims of gun violence but also own guns themselves. Under the Gun is a powerful meditation on this uniquely American epidemic and an urgent call to action toward a balanced gun policy in the United States." - Johns Hopkins University Press
Dr. Dark is an Associate Professor in the Henry J. N. Taub Department of Emergency Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. He currently is on the Board of Directors for Doctors for America, the Board of Trustees for Semester at Sea, and is the Medical Editor-in-Chief for the monthly publication ACEP Now.
One of emergency medicine’s Top 45 Under 45 and on Elemental’s List of 50 Experts to Trust in a Pandemic, Dark is a trusted voice on health care and health policy. He has written numerous OpEds (Baltimore Sun, The Guardian, MedPage Today) and has given media interview for print, radio, and television including NPR, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and BBC World News.