IDPH, Brady and the Ad Council Join Forces to Educate Illinoisans About Life-Saving Firearm Restraining Orders

On July 30 2025 the Illinois Department of Public Healthamp160IDPHamp160Brady United Against Gun Violence and the Ad Council are debuting the next phase of their amp8220Pause to Healamp8221 campaign an innovative publicprivate partnership that was piloted in 2024 to raise awareness of Firearm Restraining Orders FROs also known as amp8220extreme risk lawsamp8221 or amp8220red flag lawsamp8221 Despite these toolsamp8217 proven efficacy at preventing firearm injuries and deaths awareness among the general public remains low This year the campaign is launching a new suite of public service advertisements PSAs that illustrate how loved ones household members and other community members can amp8220hit pauseamp8221 on a potentially deadly situation by filing a FRO The PSAs drive audiences to IllinoisgovPauseToHeal for more informationWATCH THE PSA HEREExtreme risk laws like Illinoisamp8217 FRO are civil orders that temporarily prevent someone in crisis from purchasing or possessing firearms Research demonstrates the effectiveness of these tools at preventing firearm injuries and deaths One study estimated that Indianaamp8217s extreme risk law averted one suicide for approximately every 10 orders enforced Yet an Ad Council prewave study showed that only 10 of Illinoisans are familiar with FROsFROs can be obtained through a civil procedure initiated by a family member household member or other law enforcement officer and if granted temporarily block someone displaying signs they intend to harm themselves or someone else from buying or possessing a firearm This removes the possibility of lethal and permanent action when a firearm is accessible to someone in crisis granting time and space to healamp8220Firearm restraining orders are effective public health solutions that improve public safetyamp8221 said IDPH Director Dr Sameer Vohra amp8220IDPH is proud of the Pause to Heal Campaign and its ability to provide Illinoisans with information on how to help a friend or loved one in crisis IDPH is excited to continue our collaboration with Brady and Ad Council to relaunch this campaign and take it to the next level with these new public service adsamp8221amp8220Widespread 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 resources to protect our loved ones By sharing information in accessible ways we can empower families and community members to prevent tragedies and save livesamp8221The three new video PSAs created pro bono by awardwinning director Deborah Riley Draper and her production company Coffee Bluff Pictures depict dramatized scenarios that are based on actual stories of extreme risk laws filed and demonstrate how a FRO can pause a potentially deadly situation when someone is in crisis has access to a firearmquotIt was a profound honor to direct the 39Pause to Heal39 campaign inspired by the powerful journeys of actual people navigating difficult situations and the friends and family who chose to intervene with an act of courage and loveamp8221 said Deborah Riley Draper amp8220These stories demonstrate in a deeply moving way how filing a Firearm Restraining Order is both a resource and a compassionate step that affords someone in crisis the time needed to healquotquotPause to Healamp8221 PSAs will run in paid and donated media including broadcast TV digital online video radio and print media across Illinois and directing audiences to IllinoisgovPauseToHeal to learn more as research suggests audiences trust local public health departments as messengers on extreme risk law education While awareness grows exposure to the campaign is already driving engagement Last yearamp8217s campaign drove around 40000 visitors to the campaign website with a statistically significant increase in Illinoisans who report visiting a website to get more information about FROs and educating themselves on how or when to use a FRO After last yearamp8217s campaign a study by CR Research reports an increase in campaign recognition with those aware of quotPause to Healamp8221 being over four times more likely to visit a website to learn about FROs than those who are not aware of the campaignamp8220Weamp8217re honored to continue collaborating with IDPH and Brady in the second year of our amp8216Pause to Healamp8217 campaignamp8221 said Michelle Hillman the Ad Councilamp8217s chief campaign development officer amp8220Leveraging the collective experience and expertise of the Ad Council IDPH and Brady this publicprivate partnership uniquely reaches Illinoisans where they are Our powerful creative drives real impact raising awareness of the importance of FROs so Illinoisans can understand the various tools available to them to best protect their communitiesamp8221This initiative complements Ad Council and Bradyamp8217s national amp8220End Family Fireamp8221 campaign a public education campaign that focuses on secure gun storage as an evidencebased solution to preventing gun violence The Ad Council and Brady are also partnering with IDPH to localize amp8220End Family Fireamp8221 in Illinois leveraging a holistic approach to firearm violence prevention within the state amp8220Pause to Healamp8221 additionally expands on IDPH and its partner state agenciesamp8217 efforts to reduce gun violence by distributing tens of thousands of free gun locks that help to prevent unintentional shootings especially by young children who find guns in their homes as well as firearm suicides and intentional shootingsFor more information on FROs in Illinois visit IllinoisgovPauseToHealPosted 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 and the Ad Council Join Forces to Educate Illinoisans About Life-Saving Firearm Restraining Orders

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