The role of the police power in 21st century public health

The police power is the right of the state to take coercive action against individuals for the benefit of society. The companion article by Potterat et al., "Invoking, monitoring, and relinquishing a public health power: the health hold order," is a classic use of the police power in the c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSexually transmitted diseases Vol. 26; no. 6; p. 350
Main Authors Richards, 3rd, E P, Rathbun, K C
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.07.1999
Subjects
Civil Rights
Communicable Disease Control - legislation & jurisprudence
Health Policy
Humans
Police
Public Health - legislation & jurisprudence
Social Responsibility
United States
United States
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Summary:The police power is the right of the state to take coercive action against individuals for the benefit of society. The companion article by Potterat et al., "Invoking, monitoring, and relinquishing a public health power: the health hold order," is a classic use of the police power in the control of a communicable disease, yet one that is increasingly controversial. Reaching an acceptable balance between the rights of society and those of individuals is the central issue facing public health in the next millennium, and the police power is at the center of this balance. This article reviews the constitutional basis of the police power, its historical use in public health, and the structural reasons why health departments preoccupied with personal health care cannot effectively use the police power to carry out public health enforcement.
ISSN:0148-5717
DOI:10.1097/00007435-199907000-00008