The public health effects of laws on issues such as prescription drug abuse, occupational health and safety, and distracted driving will be investigated through nine new research projects funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) Public Health Law Research (PHLR) program.

The grants announced today total nearly $1.1 million and will support short-term and time-sensitive studies on specific laws or regulations and the development of legal datasets. See the summaries below for more details on the latest round of research projects funded by PHLR.

PHLR’s aim is to promote the effective use of law to improve public health. Established in 2009, the program has now funded more than 70 studies and several reviews of existing scientific evidence on major public health challenges.

Research studies already funded by PHLR are aimed at answering important questions: Are local lead laws the key to reaching children who remain at risk of lead poisoning? Do state regulations matter in electronic device use and distracted driving fatalities? And do laws mandating reporting of concussions by high school athletes make a difference in health outcomes?

“With each new set of studies, PHLR works to further expand the body of evidence that helps policy-makers make informed decisions that positively impact the health of their communities,” said PHLR Director Scott Burris, JD.

“PHLR is also funding studies that create legal datasets to help researchers study the public health effects of different legal and policy approaches used by states or cities. These datasets will help lawmakers understand how changes in laws and policies affect public health and will help train researchers to create their own legal datasets, and improve research methods,” according to Burris.

Project Summaries

Analyzing the impact of prescription drug monitoring programs in reducing the epidemic of drug abuse
Johns Hopkins University
PIs: Caleb Alexander, MD, MS; Co-PI: Lainie Rutkow, JD, PhD, MPH
Funding Amount: $149,987
Project Duration: 18 months (December 2013-June 2015)

Studying the 'health in all policies' impact on population health of changes in a range of state economic laws over the last 20 years
The George Washington University
PIs: Elizabeth Rigby, PhD
Funding Amount: $88,333
Project Duration: 18 months (December 2013-May 2015)

Analyzing the effectiveness of laws on distracted and inattentive driving to reduce traffic injuries
The Regents of the University of California (Berkeley)
PI: David Ragland, PhD, MPH, Offer Grembek, PhD
Funding Amount: $150,000
Project Duration: 12 months (December 2013-November 2014)

Analyzing the impact on cigar smoking by youths of an innovative packaging regulation in Boston
Massachusetts Association of Health Boards, Inc
PI: Cheryl Sbarra, JD; Co-PI: Wenjun Li, PhD
Funding Amount: $146,430
Project Duration: 18 months (December 2013-May 2015)

Mapping state and federal occupational safety and health laws and regulations to increase knowledge in improving worker-protective standards
Public Citizen Foundation
PI: Sidney Wolfe, MD
Funding Amount: $49,948
Project Duration: 12 months (December 2013-November 2014)

Studying the effectiveness of legal measures to control tuberculosis in homeless shelters
University of Southern California
PI: Alexander Capron, BA, LLB; Co-PI: Peter Kerndt, MD, MPH
Funding Amount: $136, 914
Project Duration: 18 months (January 2014-June 2015)

Mapping variations in local marijuana laws in Washington state to study the impact on health outcomes and disparities
Public Health Department – Seattle & King County
PI: Laura Hitchock, JD, BA
Funding Amount: $50,000
Project Duration: 12 months (December 2013-November 2014)

Assessing the public health impact of laws and ordinances regulating paid sick leaves on preventing and controlling infectious diseases
Public Health Institute
PI: Dawn Jacobson, MD, MPH; Co-PI: Kat DeBurgh, MPH
Funding Amount: $149,966
Project Duration: 18 months (December 2013-May 2015)

Studying whether two North Carolina legal interventions reduce child maltreatment
Duke University
PI: Frank Sloan, PhD, co-PI: Lindsay Eldred, JD
Funding Amount: $147,804
Project Duration: 18 months (December 2014-May 2015)