Gun Control Groups Push FTC to Equate Gun and Tobacco Advertisements

A number of gun control groups have banded together and are asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to regulate gun advertisements like tobacco advertisements.

The New York Times’ Dealbook Newsletter reports that Gabby Giffords’ gun control group, March for Our Lives, the Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence, and other gun control groups “are petitioning the Federal Trade Commission [on April 7, 2022] to investigate and regulate the firearms industry as it has with tobacco, alleging that gun manufacturers use deceptive advertising practices.”

NYC’s Dealbook describes the targeting of gun advertisements as “the latest salvo aimed at the marketing tactics of an industry that has largely been protected from liability for the harms of its products because of federal laws.”

National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Larry Keane responded to gun controllers’ attempt to treat Smith & Wesson like Philip Morris by tweeting, “Antigun groups have a problem w/ the 1st and 2d Amendments[.] Commercial speech is protected speech[.] This is old antigun play run unsuccessfully in 80s and 90s.”