Public Health Law and Ethics

Public Health Law and Ethics defines these fields for a new generation. This bold and updated edition probes how the Covid-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the legal landscape for public health practice. Through incisive analysis of public health legislation, judicial opinions, and scholarly research, this accessible primer articulates the scope and limits of governmental powers and duties to protect the public's health, builds a case for why social justice must be prioritized as a core value of public health ethics, examines the role of the courts in striking down democratically enacted laws, and covers today’s most pressing health issues, such as chronic diseases, opioid overdoses, gun violence, disability rights, sexual and reproductive autonomy, and racial and gender equity. The book creates a framework for ensuring public health interventions are based on sound scientific evidence and consistent with ethical values, revealing complex answers to the essential question of what community members owe one another when it comes to health.