Judge Blocks Florida Law Gagging Doctors' Gun Talk

By Good News Network Monday, September 19, 2011

Health - General

A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday blocked a Florida law limiting what doctors can say about guns to their patients, saying it violated free speech protections under the U.S. Constitution.

U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke granted a preliminary injunction preventing the state from enforcing the law, which barred doctors from asking whether patients had guns in their homes or discussions with them about firearms safety.

"With more than 4,000 children and teens shot in gun accidents every year, it is crucial that doctors be able to warn parents that guns in the home pose a serious risk of injury or death," the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence said.

(READ more on the story from Reuters)