A federal appeals court in Atlanta heard arguments Tuesday in a case challenging a Florida law that prohibits physicians from asking and recording information about their patients' gun ownership. If the law is upheld, the decision could influence whether Georgia would adopt similar measures, according to a WABE report.
The law in discussion is the Privacy of Firearm Owners Act, passed by Florida lawmakers in 2011.
"There're a couple of different constitutional rights that are sort of all bouncing around in the same case," said Sonja West, an associate professor of constitutional law at the University of Georgia in Athens. "There's a Second Amendment right, which patients claim about their right to gun ownership without facing intrusive questions or possibly having their ownership be recorded in some kind of document that could potentially make its way out of the doctor's office."
On the other side of the debate, termed "docs versus glocks," many medical professionals contend they have a right to speak to their patients about guns and gun safety. The American Medical Association encourages such questioning, along with other preventive care questions on sexual behavior, alcohol, drug use and domestic violence.
"Behind the closed doors of an exam room, physicians routinely ask patients personal questions to facilitate preventive care — questions about their sexual behavior, alcohol and drug use, domestic violence and other sensitive issues," Andrew Gurman, MD, president of the AMA, said in a statement. "Our role in preventing gun violence includes asking patients: Do you have guns at home? Are they kept locked separately from ammunition? Are they accessible to anyone else, especially children and individuals with mental health issues?
"These three questions can prompt a reasonable discussion, supported by evidence-based medicine and professional guidelines, which can help patients safeguard themselves and their families. Patients who receive physician counseling on firearm safety are more likely to adopt one or more safe gun-storage practices."