Illinois Launches New “Pause to Heal” Firearm Restraining Order Education Campaign

IDPH Joins Forces with Brady & the Ad Council to Promote Life–Saving Tool to Prevent Suicides and Other Shootings by People in Distress; First Phase of Expansive New Gun Safety Effort

CHICAGO – A new partnership to raise awareness about the lifesaving potential of Firearm Restraining Orders (FROs), or “red flag laws,” is launching today during National Public Health Week involving the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Brady: United Against Gun Violence, and the Ad Council.

The Illinois effort is the first phase of a planned multi–state campaign called “Pause to Heal.” It is designed to prevent firearm suicides and other shootings by educating the public about the state’s FRO law, and the power that family and household members have to ask a court to temporarily restrict access to guns and ammunition when a person poses a threat to themselves or others. Though FROs can be highly effective, a recent study from the Ad Council Research Institute (ACRI) and Joyce Foundation found that only 10% of Illinoisans are familiar with these potentially life–saving tools and know how to use them if needed. The new campaign aims to bolster awareness of these interventions, featuring a new website PauseToHeal and ads that will launch today across radio, digital, print, and outdoor with video PSAs to come starting later this year.

“When people are in crisis, they deserve an opportunity to ‘pause to heal’ and access mental health resources,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With this new awareness campaign, we will help Illinoisans connect with the resources they need to keep them and their loved ones safe.” The first–of–its–kind collaboration combines the expertise of Brady, the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention group, with the Ad Council’s unique model of using the power of communications to inspire change on pressing social issues, and IDPH’s authority and credibility to drive a measurable impact by highlighting Illinois FRO law that was signed by Governor Pritzker in 2019.