Application: Reducing Harmful Drinking

Abstract

Managing public health may be regarded as the issues of most serious concern. The U.S. Government has the power to act within the interest of public and public health through powers granted to the police. These powers are authorized largely by the tribal and state governments. Three recommended potential policies that may facilitate in promoting healthy behaviors by reducing harmful drinking for adults and juveniles are discussed in this paper. These three policies includes; utilizing alcohol liaison nurses, implementing a state wide wrogram for school going children, and the last recommended policy includes the policy which would require the alcohol industry to work in collaboration. By implementing these policies a culture of responsible drinking may be motivated, which would ultimately lead to healthy drinking.

Application: Reducing Harmful Drinking

Legal and Ethical Bases for Public Health Policy

Government of the United States has the power to act within the interest of public and public health through powers granted to the police. These powers are authorized largely by the tribal and state governments. Along with them, certain local authorities use the police powers to promote health as well as prevent or reduce health risks which include the control of many diseases and social issues which endanger the health of the public in general. Moreover, there are specific ways which are not always the same, in which public health laws and policies are formulated and subsequently implemented across different states (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 1995).

The role of the federal government in public health law and policies is however more restricted in comparison to the powers present to the state. State governments can exercise broad authority which enables them to ratify laws as well as endorse regulations which are aimed to safeguard the safety, health and welfare of their citizens. Also, state policies require all citizens to conduct their activities in line with the state's various laws and regulations (CDC, 2013).

Public health law in short can be termed as the legal duties and powers of the state in order to assure the conditions for people to be healthy and to promote healthy behaviors. However, there are limitations on the power of the state which cannot allow them to infringe on the autonomy, liberty, privacy, proprietary or other legally protected interests of the public in general (WHO, 1988). Some basic aspects of public health policies are to prevent epidemic, provide protection against environmental dangers, to promote healthy behaviors, to assure a level of quality of health services to all the citizens and lastly, to be able to respond efficiently to disasters. However, these laws and regulations can be majorly affected by ethical concerns which also influence debates on policies. These ethical concerns are therefore based on three broad moral goals - to produce benefits and avoid or minimize harms and to maximize benefits over harms. The two major moral considerations in public health are a) those which are related to the goals of public health and b) those which are general considerations which ...