PUBLIC HEALTH LAW CENTER INC

WHILE OUR MISSION REMAINS CONSTANT, OUR PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES EVOLVE OVER TIME, AS WE TAKE ON A BROADENING SPECTRUM OF ISSUES AND STRIVE TO CENTER EQUITY MORE CONSISTENTLY IN ALL OUR WORK. DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF THE COVID PANDEMIC, AND NOTWITHSTANDING OUR TRANSITION TO A FULLY REMOTE WORKING ENVIRONMENT, WE CONTINUED TO DELIVER EFFECTIVE SERVICES WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. AMONG OUR PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING THE YEAR:1. WE CONTINUED AS THE NATION'S PRIMARY SOURCE OF LEGAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THOSE ADDRESSING THE LEADING CAUSE OF PREVENTABLE DEATH: THE EPIDEMIC OF COMMERCIAL TOBACCO USE. AMONG OTHER THINGS, WE:- WORKED INTENSELY WITH NATIONAL AND LOCAL PARTNERS TO ADDRESS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY RELATED TO TOBACCO AND HEALTH: THE USE OF MENTHOL-FLAVORED TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO TARGET AFRICAN AMERICANS, YOUTH, AND LGBTQ COMMUNITIES. IN AUGUST 2022, THE FDA PROPOSED A FEDERAL RULE TO END THE PRODUCTION OF MENTHOL CIGARETTES AND ALL FLAVORED CIGARS -- A DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL IN TIME SAVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES. THIS ACTION WAS IN RESPONSE TO OUR 2013 CITIZEN PETITION CALLING FOR FDA REGULATION TO PROHIBIT MENTHOL CIGARETTES. THE WORK TO GET A FINAL RULE PUBLISHED CONTINUES. - COMPLETED OUR FIFTH YEAR OF SERVICE AS THE DESIGNATED LEGAL POLICY EXPERTS SUPPORTING THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA'S COMMERCIAL TOBACCO CONTROL PROGRAM, EARNING TOP MARKS FROM THE STATE'S EVALUATORS AND OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM GRANTEES. - COMPLETED OUR THIRD YEAR AS THE DESIGNATED LEGAL CENTER SUPPORTING THE NEW YORK STATE'S COMMERCIAL TOBACCO CONTROL PROGRAM.- MONITORED AND DEMYSTIFIED THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION'S REGULATORY REGIME FOR TOBACCO PRODUCTS, PRESSING FOR GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.- ANSWERED HUNDREDS OF REQUESTS FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM EVERY STATE OF THE NATION ON DOZENS OF ISSUES, RANGING FROM IMPLEMENTATION OF SMOKE-FREE POLICIES TO THE REGULATION OF ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES. THE INFORMATION, RESOURCES, AND GUIDANCE WE PROVIDED TO COMMUNITY LEADERS SUPPORTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF DOZENS OF INNOVATIVE NEW POLICIES. - EXPANDED OUR DIGITAL LIBRARY OF OVER 500 TOBACCO-RELATED POLICY RESOURCES. THESE RESOURCES WERE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, WHICH WAS VISITED BY OVER 500,000 USERS, AND THROUGH A MONTHLY ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER SENT TO MORE THAN 7,000 PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.- TRAINED THOUSANDS OF PROFESSIONALS THROUGH DELIVERY OF SIXTY WEBINARS AND OTHER PRESENTATIONS.2. WE CONTINUED TO HELP COMMUNITY COALITIONS, HEALTH ADVOCATES AND OTHERS PURSUE EFFECTIVE POLICIES TO SUPPORT HEALTHY EATING AND ENCOURAGE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. OUR FOOD-RELATED WORK ADDRESSED DOZENS OF POLICY OPTIONS RANGING FROM IMPROVED NUTRITION STANDARDS FOR GOVERNMENT FACILITIES, TO DEVELOPMENT OF FARMERS' MARKETS, TO TAXATION OF SUGARY BEVERAGES. WE ALSO CONTINUED TO SUPPORT POLICIES THAT ENCOURAGE ACTIVE LIVES, INCLUDING LEGAL ISSUES INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING PEDESTRIAN-FRIENDLY ROADWAYS, LAWS AFFECTING BIKING AND WALKING, AND POLICIES RELATED TO COMMUNITY DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT. 3. WE COMPLETED OUR THIRD YEAR OF A NEW CLIMATE HEALTH POLICY PROGRAM. WORK INCLUDED PRESSING THE U.S. HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AGENCY TO ACT ON OUR 2022 CITIZEN PETITION CALLING ON THE AGENCY TO GET GAS APPLIANCES OUT OF PUBLIC HOUSING. THIS INITIATIVE INCLUDED RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT TO ENSURE THAT THE POLICY PRIORITY REFLECTED RESIDENT PRIORITIES FOR CLEAN AIR IN HOUSING. IN ADDITION, WE HAVE A LEGAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SUPPORTING MUNICIPALITIES WORKING TO ADVANCE POLICIES THAT DECARBONIZE BUILDINGS.4. WE LAUNCHED A FOURTH PROGRAM AREA WITH NEW FUNDING FROM THE U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION TO BUILD PUBLIC HEALTH LAW CAPACITY IN STATE, TRIBAL, LOCAL AND TERRITORIAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS. THE PROJECT ALSO SUPPORTS INFORMATION SHARING AMONG JURISDICTIONS THROUGH DATA USE AGREEMENTS.5. WE CONTINUED TO DEVELOP A GROWING BODY OF WORK ADDRESSING THE UNIQUE LEGAL ISSUES AND HEALTH CHALLENGES OF POLICYMAKING WITHIN SOVEREIGN TRIBAL NATIONS, WHERE CENTURIES OF GENOCIDE AND MULTI-GENERATIONAL TRAUMA HAVE CREATED EXTREME CHRONIC DISEASE INEQUITIES, BUT WHERE A FOCUS ON TRADITIONAL WAYS AND CULTURE PROVIDES A FOUNDATION FOR CREATIVE APPROACHES THAT REINFORCE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE. OUR WORK RANGES FROM CROSS-CUTTING TRAINING ON THE POLICYMAKING PROCESS, TO POLICIES THAT SUPPORT TRADITIONAL FOODWAYS, TO POLICIES THAT PROTECT SACRED TOBACCO USE WHILE EXPOSING THE ROLE OF COMMERCIAL TOBACCO AND VAPING COMPANIES IN EXPLOITING TRIBAL COMMUNITIES, TO ANALYSIS OF BEST PRACTICES FOR TRIBAL BREASTFEEDING POLICIES, AND MORE.6. ANOTHER AREA OF FOCUS FOR THE CENTER INVOLVES POLICIES DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION EMBEDDED IN EXISTING STRUCTURES, SYSTEMS, AND STANDARDS. THIS "UPSTREAM" APPROACH INCLUDES NEW EFFORTS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES IN ADDRESSING THE ROLE OF RACISM AS A ROOT CAUSE OF CHRONIC DISEASE, AND, INDEED, AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS IN ITSELF. THIS WORK ALSO INCLUDES INITIATIVES TO BUILD EQUITY-DRIVEN STRUCTURES INTO THE POLICY PROCESS, ACROSS ISSUES, SUCH AS THE USE OF FORMAL "RACIAL EQUITY NOTES" TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF PROPOSED LEGISLATION ON EQUITY AND JUSTICE.7. BY EMPLOYING LAW STUDENTS AND PUBLIC HEALTH GRADUATE STUDENTS AS RESEARCH ASSISTANTS TO INVESTIGATE CUTTING-EDGE LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO PUBLIC HEALTH, WE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCES THAT ENHANCE THE CLASSROOM EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE MITCHELL HAMLINE SCHOOL OF LAW AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING.