News & Insights

Public health advocacy is a core function of public health and plays a crucial role in shaping policies, raising awareness, and ensuring equitable health outcomes. Often, however, public health professionals are unsure of the legal boundaries separating these activities. In this Q&A, Shannan Piccolo, Senior Attorney for the Network for Public Health Law’s Mid-States Region, discusses key differences between public health education, advocacy, and lobbying. 

Several states have proposed legislation restricting the use of state funds to purchase opioid antagonists from entities that have entered into an opioid-related litigation settlement regarding misconduct in the sale or distribution of prescription opioids. As they consider whether these laws are in the best interests of both taxpayers and people at risk of overdose, policymakers and advocates should consider the negative effect such laws would likely have on access to lifesaving overdose reversal medications.

Given the decline in federal support for addressing racial inequities, it is increasingly imperative for state and local governments to confront structural racism through legal and racial equity tools like Racial Equity Impact Assessments (REIAs), which create a requirement that a racial equity impact assessment be conducted for proposed legislation.

There are legitimate and safe uses of the gas nitrous oxide for medical, culinary arts and industrial use. However, recreational use of nitrous oxide is on the rise, due in great part due to it's popularity on social media. Given the significant short-term and long-term health impacts of nitrous oxide use, public health officials and community organizations should examine their state laws to determine if law change, or just law enforcement, is needed.

The private sector community benefits movement has the potential to have a positive and significant impact on social determinants of health. Public health practitioners and others working to improve the health of their communities should be familiar with this movement and consider opportunities to support these efforts towards the common goal of advancing health equity.

Immigration status is a social determinant of health and the structural factor with the most direct impact on the health outcomes of immigrants is access to health care. Refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities in the United States, on average, have lower rates of health insurance, face increased barriers to care, and receive lower quality of care than U.S.-born populations. However, there are actions that states can take through federal programs, but also outside of federally funded programs, to improve access to care.

Race-neutral strategies can be a powerful tool in the struggle to dismantle structural racism. The current political, social, and legal environment is increasingly attacking racial justice efforts and milestones at the federal, and in some cases, state and local levels. This is not a call to abandon race-based strategies for creating a racially just society. It is a call to take a new look at the ability of race-neutral strategies to do the same. 

As a result of federal grant claw backs, state and local public health agencies have halted work and initiated layoffs on projects which utilized those federal funds, including infectious disease prevention and surveillance, vaccination programs, outbreak responses, community health workers, and health disparities programs.  

Children and families across the country have been served well by more than 50 years of federal engagement on and funding of efforts to prevent child maltreatment. This April advocates hope not just for the annual declaration of Child Abuse Prevention Month but also the explicit protection of federal funding that supports vital, evidence-based programs.

With mounting threats to indoor air quality, many public health practitioners and community leaders are looking for practical and legal strategies to improve indoor ventilation and filtration. In addition to the Model Clean Indoor Air Act, one practical strategy to make a quick and cost-effective improvement in indoor air quality – modifying box fans by adding air filters overcomes the barrier to access posed by the high cost of HEPA filters and commercial air purifiers.

Recent federal executive orders and actions have placed unconscionable strain on an already under-resourced and overstretched public health infrastructure. Over the past few weeks, we've gathered information on critical health, equity, and public health issues affected by these executive actions—from federal immigration enforcement powers to vaccine preventable diseases; the environment, energy, and natural resources; diversity, equity, and inclusion; LGBTQ+ rights; data collection; and research funding. 

In the latest development in the new administration’s efforts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, a Federal judge on Friday, February 21, 2025, granted a motion for preliminary injunction halting several provisions of two recent executive orders. Those bringing the lawsuit describe DEI as “foundational to the nation’s promise of equality for all.” This article takes a closer look at the lawsuit and what it could mean for DEI programs.