Public Health

  • Read more: Caplan on Guns, Mental Health, and NY State Law

    Caplan on Guns, Mental Health, and NY State Law

    By Arthur Caplan In a new article (free registration required), Art Caplan discusses recent gun control legislation passed in New York state.  Take a look at the full piece, but here’s an excerpt: The NY SAFE Act requires individuals who own a handgun or an assault rifle to recertify their permits every 5 years; limits…

  • Read more: Court Enjoins N.Y. Ban on Large Sugary Drinks

    Court Enjoins N.Y. Ban on Large Sugary Drinks

    By Wendy Parmet New York State Supreme Court’s Justice Milton A. Tingling’s decision last night in New York Statewide Coalition of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce v. New York City Dpeartment of Health and Mental Hygiene, to enjoin New York City’s controversial ban on the sale of large sugary beverages should not have been surprising. As…

  • Read more: Family, Privacy, Secrets, & The Law

    Family, Privacy, Secrets, & The Law

    By Michele Goodwin The Family, Privacy, Secrets, & The Law Roundtable (March 7-8. 2013) was a great success.  Kudos to the brilliant presenters and commentators who came together for this important, groundbreaking session, including Lori Andrews, Glenn Cohen, June Carbone, Laura Rosenbury, Camille Gear Rich, Martha Field, Deborah Epstein, Martha Ertman, Gaia Bernstein, Taunya Banks,…

  • Read more: Caplan on Barring Smokers from Hospital Jobs

    Caplan on Barring Smokers from Hospital Jobs

    Art Caplan has a new opinion piece out from CNN today commenting on the decision of the Penn Health System to no longer hire smokers, which he finds ethically problematic. Take a look.

  • Read more: The Ban on Federal Funding of Syringes — continued

    The Ban on Federal Funding of Syringes — continued

    By Scott Burris People arguing that our federal government spends “too much” sound more and more like cynics by Oscar Wilde’s famous definition: knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing. I’m neither for big government nor small government. I’d like government that does important things effectively and efficiently. One very effective and…

  • Read more: Flu Vaccine Mandates for Health Care Workers

    Flu Vaccine Mandates for Health Care Workers

    By Temple University Center for Public Health Law Research According to officials, the worst of this year’s devastating flu season should be over in most parts of the country. But in early January, the flu had hit 47 of 50 states. According to the CDC, a total of 78 influenza-associated pediatric deaths have been reported.…

  • Read more: Impact of the Sequester on Health Care: By the Numbers

    Impact of the Sequester on Health Care: By the Numbers

    By: Katie Booth  The looming sequester will have a significant impact on health care, including cuts to Medicare, FDA, CDC, NIH, and Affordable Care Act programs. Budget cuts could slow down the drug approval process, impede the tracking of infectious diseases, and lead to layoffs for hundreds of thousands of workers in the health care…

  • Read more: Twitter Round-Up (2/16-2/23)

    Twitter Round-Up (2/16-2/23)

    By Casey Thomson This week’s round-up discusses the upcoming cases relevant to bioethics in the Supreme Court, the benefits of the Physician Payment Sunshine Act, the surprisingly low effectiveness rate of this year’s flu vaccine, and the problems with ACA’s Accountable Care Organizations. See below for details and more summaries: Frank Pasquale (@FrankPasquale) shared a…

  • Read more: The High Cost of Health Care: Why Some Pay $240 for a $9 Bottle of Pills

    The High Cost of Health Care: Why Some Pay $240 for a $9 Bottle of Pills

    By Jonathan J. Darrow An earlier post discussed the equivocal efficacy of Propecia (finasteride) as a baldness remedy, ending with the provocative assertion that, efficacy aside, “there is little reason for anyone ever to buy or consume Propecia (finasteride), or any doctor ever to prescribe it, since a much cheaper and identical chemical sold under…

  • Read more: Can the FDA Ban Cupcakes?

    Can the FDA Ban Cupcakes?

    By Katie Booth In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to discuss an important issue: Can the FDA ban cupcakes? While this may seem like a silly question, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (“CSPI”) has filed a petition with the FDA urging the agency to regulate the amount of sugar (including…