Law & Policy Insights

The COVID-19 outbreak occurring in the United States and in many other countries has profound implications for mental health. Just as public health is leading the way to protect physical health in the context of COVID-19, public health can take steps to promote mental health and community resilience. While public health has emergency isolation, quarantine, and social distancing powers, taking small steps where consistent with good public health practice can support mental well-being.

The medications methadone and buprenorphine are extremely effective in reducing the harms associated with opioid use disorder. In light of the ongoing public health emergency associated with COVID-19 the federal government has recently taken a number of steps to increase access to these lifesaving medications.

Workers who are sick and one paycheck away from not being able to pay rent are more likely to go to work, potentially exposing others in their workplace and on public transportation to COVID-19. In response, just in the past week, several jurisdictions have taken innovative steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by instituting policies designed to ensure that people can stay in their homes.

A lawsuit arguing for repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is making its way to the Supreme Court. One of the lesser-known provisions of the ACA enacted the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) which provides key health care provisions intended to benefit Native populations. The loss of the IHCIA would significantly set back efforts to address health disparities.

Emerging medical research suggests an array of harms from dysfunctional use of social media, including social isolation and loneliness. Rapid advancement of information technology and the near-ubiquitous use of social media have led to calls for public health research to better assess benefits and harms. As we learn more, what role might public health policy play in mediating the harmful effects of social media use?

Public health law and policy stories that made headlines recently include expanding Medicaid access post-postpartum to improve maternal mortality rates; how changes in naloxone access laws could save thousands of lives; Juul’s suspension of flavored e-cigarette product sales amid growing scrutiny of its advertising practices; how proposed food-stamp cutbacks could worsen obesity and food insecurity in the U.S.; and a landmark ruling on supervised injection sites.

Eviction can trap families and individuals in cycles of poverty by limiting their housing options and pushing them into substandard housing or homelessness, leading to a multitude of poor physical and mental health outcomes. Eviction also disproportionally impacts people of color and poor people. Laws providing for the expungement of eviction records may help to mitigate the harmful consequences of eviction and improve access to housing.

As food allergies become more prevalent, there is increased risk of harm from serious and life-threatening reactions. However, this risk is frequently overlooked or disregarded by the food service industry. While federal law requires the packaged food industry to label any major allergens in their products, there is no mandate that restaurants do so. In response, several states have enacted legislation requiring food-service establishments to take additional food allergen precautions.

As more states legalize medical and recreational marijuana use, they are being confronted with a broad spectrum of policy issues. One of the emerging issues is whether to allow the legal cannabis industry to deliver marijuana directly to customers. Advocates see it as an issue of access, especially for medical marijuana patients. Opponents argue that delivery will make it easier for kids to get marijuana and that the delivery vehicles will be targeted by criminals.

Trees are beautiful, but are they also a cure for climate change related health hazards? We know that trees beautify urban spaces, increase property values, reduce stress, improve mental health, and benefit communities by reducing crime rates and increasing social cohesion. But tree cover can also provide significant cooling benefits to offset dangerous temperatures during extreme heat events, which are on the rise in urban areas as a result of climate change.