Results from six studies investigating various public health laws were published online today in a special issue of the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law. The studies cover the topics of HPV vaccination policies, lead poisoning prevention laws and specialty courts, state contraceptive mandates, the impact of zoning on walkability, and drug patent laws in India.
The six articles showcase original research and have been published as part of a specially commissioned issue by the Public Health Law Research (PHLR) program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The papers were selected through an independent peer-review process, and represent the diversity of the field. Three of the six papers were funded by the PHLR program.
“These studies represent exemplary evidence to support what works, and what doesn’t in public health law. They provide policy-makers with the information they need to weed out laws that don’t work, saving money and lives in the process,” said Scott Burris, JD, PHLR director and professor at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law.
The articles included in the special issue are: (First three were funded by PHLR)
“Philadelphia's Lead Court Is Making a Difference: Qualitative Results from the Lead Court Study” Carla Campbell, MD, MS
“Are Local Policies the Key to Ending Childhood Lead Poisoning?” Katrina Korfmacher, PhD
“Measuring Municipal Ordinance Effectiveness: Do Mixed Land Use Zone Ordinances Improve Walkability Potential?” Carol Lynn Cannon, MA
“How Do Public Health Safeguards in Indian Patent Law Affect Pharmaceutical Patenting in Practice?” Bhavan Sampat, PhD
“An [Un]clear Conscience Clause: The Causes and Consequences of Statutory Ambiguity in State Contraceptive Mandates” Rachel VanSickle-Ward, PhD
“The Politics of HPV Vaccination Policy Formation in the United States” Sara Abiola, PhD, JD