Assignment:
Local Concerns and Local Health Policy
The former Speaker of the United States House of Representative, Thomas "Tip" O'Neill, is credited with this statement: "All politics is local" (PBS, 2010). In other words, people are most impacted by what happens to them locally. While local policies might have the greatest influence on your daily life, policies enacted at the state and federal levels are also significant. For instance, the Americans with Disabilities Act that requires wheelchair accessible entrances comes from the federal government, a law that mandates stopping at crosswalks originates at the state level, and a smoke free ordinance might be enacted by a local government. While all of these policies are set by different agencies or organizations, they are all designed to protect the public's health.
Local public health policies have likely impacted you, your family, and/or your friends in some way. Maybe a new policy encouraged you to change a health behavior. For instance, a law prohibiting smoking in public buildings might have encouraged you to stop smoking completely. Perhaps there is a public health policy, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act that assisted you or a family member with a health challenge. Can you think of public health policies that have impacted your community in a positive way? Are there any public health policies that have had a negative impact in your community?
To prepare for Discussion:
• Review the Brown son et al. and Day articles. Think about how public health issues have been addressed through the use of policy.
• View the media "Shaping Public Health Policy." Reflect on the importance of public health policy.
• Research public health policies in your community.
• Select a local level public health policy in your community, and consider its significance for the local community and the field of public health.
• Determine the impact of your selected public health policy on health care and public health.
With these thoughts in mind:
brief description of the local level public health policy you selected, and explain its significance for the local community and the field of public health. Then, explain two potential impacts of your selected public health policy on health care and your community.
Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.
Reference:
PBS. (2010). Biography: Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill.