Results from grant-funded research projects evaluating public health law issues.
Many states have responded to the abuse of prescription opioids by developing a set of policies limiting access (e.g., prescription drug monitoring programs). While abuse is a continual concern, opioids play an important role in legitimate pain management: About one-third of the U.S. population struggles with chronic pain.
Jurisdictions across the country, acting in the context of a federal regulatory void and wide gaps in knowledge about the safety of e-cigarettes, are trying to decide whether and how to regulate the devices. This project is an in-depth, real-time study of policymaking surrounding this issue. The project aims to advance understanding of the policymaking process, particularly with respect to how scientific research evidence is or is not used by decision makers, and to identify the key determinants of policy action on this issue, providing a map of the current policy landscape.
Research has shown that patients are more likely to adhere to prescription regimens when they are prescribed more affordable generic products. However, state-level drug product selection laws and regulations control whether pharmacists can substitute brand-name drugs with generic versions of the same products. Drug product selection laws vary across states in whether they are automatic or permissive, whether they require patient consent, and whether there are exceptions (carve-outs) for certain drug classes.
Washington State is among the first to legalize recreational marijuana. Local ordinances already exist to regulate medical marijuana, but a strong state medical regulatory framework does not exist. It is unclear how variations in local laws will impact marijuana access, use, initiation, and related outcomes such as injury and crime, particularly among youth.
This study will analyze the impact of the regulation on youth cigar use, and will answer: Has the regulation resulted in a reduction in cigar use prevalence among 9-12 graders in Boston after its enactment in 2012? Was the reduction in cigar use prevalence among 9-12 graders in Boston greater than those of municipalities that have not enacted the regulation? To what extent has the sales price of cigars increased in retail stores since the enactment in 2012?
This project will investigate the role of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) in reducing epidemic rates of prescription drug abuse.
The American Nonsmokers' Rights (ANR) Foundation will collect and code local tobacco control laws nationwide related to youth access to tobacco products, tobacco advertising, and conditional use permits.
The project aims to identify the impact of laws and regulations in the United States that allow and/or restrict harm reduction interventions, including syringe exchange programs (SEPs) and naloxone delivery on public health outcomes among injecting drug users (IDUs).
The primary purpose of the study will be to determine whether marijuana decriminalization in California is associated with an increase in the prevalence of marijuana-positive driving.
In 2011, Maryland legislators introduced a 50 percent increase in the sales and use tax on alcoholic beverages. The effect of alcohol policy on non-fatal traffic injuries is unknown, as studies have focused on fatal injuries. This study aims to assess the effects of 2011 alcohol policy on the occurrence of fatal, as well as non-fatal injuries.
Overdose prevention centers (OPCs) are facilities where controlled substances, obtained outside the center, may be consumed in a safe environment with monitoring by staff. These centers are intended to lessen the risk of overdose and often also provide access to critical services such as syringe exchange, fentanyl test strip and naloxone distribution, and referrals to treatment for infectious diseases and substance use disorder.
Non-methadone synthetic opioid-related overdose deaths have been increasing exponentially in recent years.
More than one million people are arrested annually for drug possession across the United States. People charged with and convicted of criminal drug offenses can face devastating collateral consequences, including eviction, unemployment, loss of the right to vote, and deportation. Research shows that criminalization of drug possession contributes to the marginalization of people with substance use disorders, results in stark racial disparities, and costs billions of dollars.
The federal Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy (MIEP) generally prohibits federal matching funds from being used to pay for health care provided to most adults incarcerated in public institutions. For justice-involved individuals, this means that during incarceration the criminal justice system is responsible for inmate health care and that Medicaid enrollment may be either terminated or suspended, leading to gaps in Medicaid coverage at release.
Public Health and law are interwoven, shaping how communities interact and people experience the world around them. Legal mapping is the scientific process of analyzing state laws concerning a particular legal topic at either a particular point in time (cross-sectional) or its change over a period of time (longitudinal). This page features ASTHO’s legal mapping work to plot the legal landscape for public health priorities, beginning with policies intended to prevent overdose.
Unintentional drug overdose is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Some states have enacted "Good Samaritan" laws that create immunities or other legal protections for people who call for help in the event of an overdose to encourage and protect bystanders who may otherwise not be willing to call for fear of being arrested for drug-related crimes. The protection afforded by these laws varies from state to state.
Coverage expansion for Medicaid improves access to care and health outcomes for people with substance use disorder (SUD). In spite of that evidence, as of May 2023, 10 states have failed to expand Medicaid funding to low-income adults as emergency enrollment protections established for COVID-19 end. This coverage gap in the non-expansion jurisdictions denies access to care to more than 1.9 million people living in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
To mitigate the risks associated with prescription opioid use, most states have implemented laws requiring clinicians to obtain informed consent prior to prescribing opioids in at least some circumstances. Informed consent is defined as a communication between a patient and clinician in which the patient agrees to a medical intervention after being informed of the risks, benefits, and alternatives.
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