Network Report Thursday, October 21, 2021 
The impacts of the COVID pandemic have been devastating and there are numerous efforts by state legislatures nationwide to significantly reduce public health’s authority to address future disease outbreaks. During this critical time for public health, hundreds in the public health community convened at the 2021 Virtual Public Health Law Conference to discuss and explore law and policy pathways to protect and empower public health efforts. Video recordings of all 40 sessions and the general sessions are now available. Conference attendees can access the recordings through their Whova conference link and non-attendees can purchase access to the conference session recordings here. 
Social Justice Policies in New York’s Cannabis Legalization Earlier this year, New York legalized adult-use (recreational) cannabis with the Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act. While it’s now legal for adults to possess cannabis, there are no retail establishments permitted to sell adult-use cannabis. The State is in the process of developing regulations for this new industry and the adult-use market is expected to be operational in late 2022. While New York is focused on creating a safe and efficient industry, it is also incorporating social justice measures, including restorative justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies into its new cannabis system.
Dual Epidemics of COVID-19 and Overdose Highlight Impact of Structural Racism The United States remains in the grip of both COVID-19 and drug-related harm. Both are public health emergencies marked by tens of thousands of preventable deaths – and both disproportionately impact Black, Latino/a, and Native people, as well as other people of color. Addressing the structural racism that drive inequality in access to economic opportunity, educational attainment, and other factors that ultimately drives health disparities must be a key public health priority – both during the dual COVID and overdose epidemics and beyond.
The medications for opioid use disorder, methadone and buprenorphine, can reduce overdose deaths by over 50 percent. Unfortunately, many people who want to access these medications are unable to do so because of federal and state legal restrictions, primarily the federal X-waiver, which a physician must obtain in order to prescribe these medications. While the requirement itself is statutory and can only be changed by Congress, the departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) have a great deal of autonomy in determining its exact contours. 
Substance Use Disorder (SUD)-Related Emergency Department Mandates Drug overdose is a nationwide epidemic that claimed the lives of approximately 90,000 people in the United States in 2020. While many individuals with substance use disorder or who have experienced a nonfatal overdose do not seek treatment in hospital emergency departments (ED), nearly 975,000 nonfatal drug overdoses were treated in EDs in 2017. This 50-State Survey covers which states have laws that require some or all hospital emergency departments to create protocols to screen patients for substance use disorder as well as those that require that hospitals take specific actions when providing care to such individuals or individuals who have experienced an overdose.
Law and Policy Pathways to Addressing the Epidemic of Drug Related Harm Most of the epidemic levels of drug related harm currently occurring in the U.S. could be prevented by expanding existing interventions, removing barriers to effective care, and making legal changes to eliminate the criminalization of drug use. This guide outlines key law and policy measures that, if taken, would significantly advance efforts to reduce drug related harm in the U.S. 
Judicial Trends: Recent Case Decisions with Long-term Implications for Public Health TODAY: October 21, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EST Attend this webinar to learn about key recent litigation and legal decisions impacting public health including reproductive freedom, vaccination, cannabis, Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act interpretation, voting rights, and gun control. All of these and more will be unpacked in this fast-paced webinar session, which will provide essential updates on recent court decisions and a view into significant upcoming decisions in the Supreme Court’s term ahead, all of which may have serious implications for public health in the coming years.
November 16, 2021 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. EST Attend this webinar to learn about the Network’s Climate Change, Health Equity, and Public Health Law Learning and Practice Collaborative (CC LPC). The CC LPC will engage partners interested in the intersection of climate change and health equity to discuss law and policy solutions to adapt the public health impacts from climate change. Applications to join the collaborative will open soon. This webinar will provide an overview of the CC LPC, the application and timeline, and a brief explanation of the role of public health law in addressing the climate crisis.
Worth Sharing The Network at the 2021 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo October 24 - 27, 2021 Visit the Network booth at the 2021 APHA Annual Meeting to learn about and connect with us on our latest resources, including the recently released report, “Proposed Limits on Public Health Authority: Dangerous for Public Health.” Network attorneys presenting at APHA include Southeastern Region Director Dawn Hunter who will be among the presenters at the session: “Voting Is a Path to Better Health–New Tools and Opportunities,” Tuesday, October 26; Network National Director Donna Levin who will present at the session: “Public Health Under Threat: Legislative Limits to Public Health Authority," Monday, October 25; Senior Staff Attorney Brooke Torton who will present at the session: "Legal Preparedness and Response to COVID-19 and Future Public Health Emergencies," Sunday, October 24; and Northern Region Director Jill Krueger, who will facilitate the session, "Challenges to Public Health Legal Authority," Tuesday, October 26.
All In: Data for Community Health 2021 National Virtual Meeting November 8-10, 2021 with a pre-conference November 4 The All In: Data for Community Health National Meeting brings together a diverse group of people from public health, community-based social service, healthcare, national organizations, and other groups at the nexus of working across sectors to leverage data to improve community health. The meeting will cover topics such as data sharing to address racial justice and equity, community leadership for data use and sharing, and policies and systems that facilitate data sharing. Four workshops are also being offered pre-conference on November 4.
Eviction and the Necessary Conditions for Health In a new article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, housing law experts, Katie Moran-McCabe and Scott Burris at the Temple University Center for Public Health Law Research, call for a realignment in how we think about and approach the housing crisis — and eviction in particular — in America. Moran-McCabe and Burris call for a national recognition of housing as a fundamental need and offer a few practical recommendations on where governments may start.
License to Sell: Tobacco Retail Licensing Nuts, Bolts, and Fees Tuesday, October 26, 2021 This Public Health Law Center webinar will cover the key elements of tobacco retail licensing in California. Presenters will walk through the Public Health Law Center’s Model Tobacco Retail Licensing (TRL) ordinance, focusing on the importance of clear and comprehensive definitions, restrictions on tobacco retailers, limitations on where products can be sold, and robust penalty and enforcement provisions.
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Thank you! Your interest in the work of the Network is important. Together, we can advance law as a tool to improve public health. Please forward the Network Report and encourage others to join the Network! The Network for Public Health Law provides information and technical assistance on issues related to public health. The legal information and assistance provided in this document does not constitute legal advice or legal representation. For legal advice, readers should consult a lawyer in their state.
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