Illinois Expands “Pause to Heal” Campaign to Raise Awareness of Firearm Restraining Orders

CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health, Brady: United Against Gun Violence and the Ad Council launched a new phase of the “Pause to Heal” campaign to increase awareness of Firearm Restraining Orders, or FROs, which allow family members, household members or law enforcement to temporarily block someone in crisis from purchasing or possessing firearms. The public service announcements, which follow a 2024 pilot, direct people to Illinois.gov/PauseToHeal for information on how FROs work and how they can be used to prevent gun suicides and other shootings. Research shows these orders are effective at reducing firearm deaths, but only 10% of Illinoisans are familiar with them, according to an Ad Council study.