At HistoricalIndex, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.
What is Public Health Policy?
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth
Public policy is the approach, whether active or passive, taken by government departments, groups, and branches in response to a particular issue. Public health is a field of study that focuses on protecting the health of communities and populations. Therefore, public health policy is the collected laws, regulations, and approaches taken to making decision and implementing policy that affects the health of the wider community.
Public health policy issues include a wide range of topics including health care reform, insurance reform with an eye to individuals who are not covered by an employer or a group, and the prevention and control of communicable diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 also known as swine flu, Avian Influenza, tuberculosis or TB, and other diseases. Other public health policy issues include nutrition and food safety; stem cell research; regulation of alcohol, medical marijuana, and tobacco; oversight of the pharmaceutical industry; and genetics.
That public health policy is conveyed through a variety of means and can be affected by a variety of factors can be seen by examining a particular issue; for example, smoking. One of the factors that has shaped public health policy with regard to tobacco is a concern with the health of the tobacco industry and the continuation of taxes collected from the sale of tobacco products. Although it took until June, 2009 for the government regulation of tobacco products to be place under the aegis of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States—rather than the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, which had maintained oversight up till then—evidence from research in both the UK and the US had been pointing to health issues related to tobacco from the early 1960s when the cigarette smoking was first linked to lung cancer and other diseases.
Public health policy reached out to affect the labeling of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and related products as well as the advertising of tobacco. Smoking-prevention instruction was developed for students. That smoking was addictive and that the addictive and deadly nature of smoking were known to the tobacco industry did something to change to attitudes toward them and resulted in litigation by individuals and by governments as well. Increased prices and taxes added to tobacco products, and more oversight of manufacturing standards.
The discovery that second-hand smoke can cause respiratory illnesses including asthma and even be lethal to non-smokers, led to greater and greater restrictions on the behaviors of smokers. At one time there had been smoking and non-smoking sections, but these gave way to smoke free areas, buildings, airports, restaurants, schools, hospitals, etc. In some places, smokers must move away from the shelter of buildings to ensure that smoke does not get into air intakes or affect those seeking to enter and exit.
The introduction by the World Health Organization of a tobacco-control treaty in 2003 to provide an international framework for the regulation of tobacco signals a move towards global public health policy. The document is the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). It had been adopted by 165 countries as of May 2009.
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth is passionate about reading, writing, and research, and has a penchant for correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to contributing articles to HistoricalIndex about art, literature, and music, Mary Elizabeth is a teacher, composer, and author. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago’s writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont, and she has written books, study guides, and teacher materials on language and literature, as well as music composition content for Sibelius Software.
Learn more...
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth is passionate about reading, writing, and research, and has a penchant for correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to contributing articles to HistoricalIndex about art, literature, and music, Mary Elizabeth is a teacher, composer, and author. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago’s writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont, and she has written books, study guides, and teacher materials on language and literature, as well as music composition content for Sibelius Software.
Learn more...AS FEATURED ON:
AS FEATURED ON:
-
![A public health policy might include a public service announcement campaign that spreads the word about the dangers of tobacco products.]()
By: Mr Korn FlakesA public health policy might include a public service announcement campaign that spreads the word about the dangers of tobacco products. -
![Lobbyists attempt to shape public health policy.]()
By: qingwaLobbyists attempt to shape public health policy. -
![Public health issues include preventing and controlling communicable diseases like swine flu.]()
By: emde71Public health issues include preventing and controlling communicable diseases like swine flu. -
![Public health policy educates communities on precautions like proper hand washing so as to combat outbreaks of disease.]()
By: peacebutsPublic health policy educates communities on precautions like proper hand washing so as to combat outbreaks of disease.
Discussion Comments
I have a friend who is a nurse and she works in one of the clinics sponsored through the public health policy. She works with low income patients. She could work in other medical centers or hospitals and make more money, but she really enjoys what she does.
Were it not for the clinic where she works, many of her patients would have to go without medical attention other than when they visit emergency rooms. And most of the patients at the clinic are kids, young mothers and old people.
@Animandel - One of the biggest reasons you don't see as many people smoking as you did in the past is because it is virtually against the law to smoke anywhere you might be seen by another person. Smokers are almost like criminals in the way they are treated by the government. About the only safe place you can light a cigarette is in your own home.
In the long run, people who want tobacco are going to get it regardless of any public health policy. I know people who use chewing tobacco in place of cigarettes in some cases because they can get away with the chewing tobacco in some places where they can't smoke.
I don't know the statistics, but I think the the public health policy regarding the smoking of cigarettes has been great. Governments and health organizations have put in considerable time and resources, and there seem to be way fewer people smoking today than were smoking a decade or two ago.
And I cannot remember the last time I saw an ad in a magazine or anywhere trying to sell cigarettes. The ads used to everywhere, even on TV once upon a time.
Post your comments