Bioterrorism, public health, and the law.
The controversy over the Model State Emergency Health Powers Act has underscored the enduring tension in public health between guarding the common welfare and respecting individual liberty. The current version of the act, crafted in response to extensive public commentary, attempts to strike a balance between these values but has failed to allay the concerns of many civil libertarians and privacy advocates. Although the debates over the model act have been triggered by the threat of bioterrorism, they illustrate broader philosophical differences, with profound implications for all realms of public health policy.
Bayer
Ronald
R
Center for the History and Ethics of Public Health, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York City, USA.
Colgrove
James
J
D023482:Bioterrorism / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002961:Civil Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004630:Emergencies; D005610:Freedom; D006801:Humans; D037141:Mandatory Programs / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011634:Public Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011049:Social Control Policies / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States