Public Health and Personal Freedom

Laws and regulations in the United States primarily aim to either serve the public interest, protect the rights of individuals, or combine those two objectives. These two goals, however, can come into conflict, particularly in discussions of public health measures. Unlike patient-based health care, public health involves determining the best policies for the population as a whole. Measures intended to protect public health may require people to sacrifice some of their personal freedom for the common good. For example, environmental regulations that protect air and water quality may inhibit a company's ability to generate maximum profits, and laws that restrict cigarette smoking to designated areas limit a smoker's choice of venue to protect nonsmokers. In both instances, the laws seek...