Public Health Law Blog Archive

We are what we eat, but do we really know what we are putting in our bodies on a daily basis? For example, it turns out that rice — although seemingly innocuous — contains high levels of inorganic arsenic, regardless of whether it is grown in the United States or abroad.

According to the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health there are approximately 353,000 current methamphetamine (“Meth”) usersin the United States. The toxic substances associated with the “cooking” process can pollute the soil, groundwater, and even the building itself. Exposure to these toxins can result in skin problems, respiratory issues, kidney damage, birth defects, and even cancer.

Java Jolt, Cherry Crush, Smooth Chocolate — could these be ice cream flavors? Candy? Nope — these are the latest flavors of nicotine, delivered in a high-tech way. Meet the electronic cigarette: a battery-powered, tobacco-less, nicotine-filled, vapor-producing “cigarette."

For over six months in 2011, patients at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Washington D.C. were stalked by an invisible, deadly predator. Before it was finally contained, the superbug Klebsiella pneumonia (KP) infected 17 patients, 11 of whom died. For hospitals and their insurers, superbugs present an important legal problem — namely, what measures must be taken to avoid incurring superbug-related liability?

State legislatures across the country consider changes and additions to laws that would impact public health during the 2013 legislative season. Examples of laws introduced in a few states include those related to tobacco control, health agency accreditation and newborn screening.