Public Health Law

This book arises from two core beliefs: (1) law is one of the most significant determinants of health; and, (2) a basic understanding of law—as the foundation for public health practice and as an interventional tool—is vital for the effective practice of public health in the 21st century. There is no public health without the law. The book makes law less scary and empowers students, public health practitioners, and researchers to see law as simply another tool in their toolbox—just like epidemiology, surveillance, biostatistics, and other traditional public health tools. It addresses major topics in public health law and provides a diversity of learners (from beginners to experienced public health practitioners and researchers) with a practice-based overview of the field. The book also provides students and public health professionals with context and essential concepts in law across a selection of public health topics. It can help students, practitioners, and researchers develop the vocabulary and savvy necessary to engage in productive conversations with their peers, the public, policymakers, partners, and lawyers about laws impacting individual wellbeing and public health. The book is organized into three parts. Part I covers key legal concepts undergirding the practice of public health and discusses the origins and nature of the law as it relates to public health. Part II features chapters focused on topics most prevalent in academic public health program areas and many that are addressed in national public health strategies. Part III has five chapters exploring the transdisciplinary and multi-sectoral nature of the practice and implementation of public health law and includes discussions of law and public health decision-making, law as a social determinant of health, health in all policies, and legal epidemiology.