Major trends in public health law and practice

J Law Med Ethics. 2013 Sep;41(3):737-45. doi: 10.1111/jlme.12084.

Major trends in public health law and practice: a network national report.

Hodge JG Jr, Barraza L, Bernstein J, Chu C, Collmer V, Davis C, Griest MM, Hammer MS, Krueger J, Lowrey KM, Orenstein DG.

Source

Director, Western Region, Network for Public Health Law. Deputy Director, Western Region, Network for Public Health Law. Senior Staff Attorney, Mid-States Region, Network for Public Health Law. Visiting Attorney, ChangeLab Solutions. Visiting Attorney, Western Region, Network for Public Health Law. Staff Attorney, Southeastern Region, Network for Public Health Law. Program Officer, Eastern Region, Network for Public Health Law. Visiting Attorney, Mid-States Region, Network for Public Health Law. Senior Attorney, Northern Region, Network for Public Health Law. Deputy Director, Eastern Region, Network for Public Health Law. Deputy Director, Western Region, Network for Public Health Law.

Abstract

Since its inception in September 2010, the Network for Public Health Law has responded to hundreds of public health legal technical assistance claims from around the country. Based on a review of these data, a series of major trends in public health practice and the law are analyzed, including issues concerning: the Affordable Care Act, tobacco control, emergency legal preparedness, health information privacy, food policy, vaccination, drug overdose prevention, sports injury law, public health accreditation, and maternal breastfeeding. These and other emerging themes in public health law demonstrate the essential role of law and practice in advancing the public's health.