Journal of public health policy
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J Public Health Policy · Aug 2013
Attack on Australia: tobacco industry challenges to plain packaging.
In 2011, the Australian Government passed landmark legislation requiring tobacco manufacturers to adopt 'plain packaging', a government-mandated design standardized across all brands of tobacco products. In response, plain packaging policy in Australia has faced multiple, simultaneous challenges from a global, well-resourced industry able to use all available fora to seek redress. ⋯ We characterize three ways in which industry questions public health policies through international trade and investment law, on: (i) the intent or purpose of the policy; (ii) the economic consequences of it; and (iii) the regulatory authority behind it. We make recommendations and suggest that public health policymakers can know with some precision what attacks will be launched on tobacco control policies, and prepare their strategies and legislation accordingly.
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J Public Health Policy · May 2013
Cellphone bans and fatal motor vehicle crash rates in the United States.
A number of states in the United States have laws restricting drivers from using cellphones. Using state-level panel data, we examined the effect of cellphone laws on fatal crashes in the United States between 2000 and 2010. ⋯ The effect was most pronounced among drivers between 18 and 34 years of age. We did not find any significant effect among drivers in the 55 and older age cohorts.
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J Public Health Policy · Jan 2013
Clinical TrialIs the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) handbook effective in improving health-related behavior? Evidence from Palestine.
This study examines the effect of the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) handbook--a home-based health record--on women's knowledge and behavior in the Jericho and Ramallah Governorates of Palestine. ⋯ The MCH handbook may be an effective tool to improve (i) communication between the client and the health provider and (ii) women's knowledge- and health-seeking behaviors related to maternal, newborn, and child health.
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J Public Health Policy · Jan 2013
When falsified medicines enter the supply chain: description of an incident in Kenya and lessons learned for rapid response.
Falsified and substandard medicines present serious concerns for public health. We describe an event that occurred in late 2011 involving falsified antiretroviral medicines found in the supplies of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) projects in Kenya. We discuss factors contributing to these falsified medicines entering the supply chain as well as the response by MSF and others. We make recommendations to help defend against future episodes of entry of falsified medicines into the supply chain as well as comments on appropriate responses in cases of falsified medicines.