We might take for granted our knowledge that the earth is round or how electricity works. But these were once debated subjects, and we’re still learning new things about even the foundational aspects of science, things we might take for granted. At its best, science changes because the world changes.
A new study by the University of Michigan School of Public Health and University of California, Davis found that placing warning labels on beverage dispensers helped reduce consumption by nearly 15% among college students.
It can take a long time to develop new policy, and some advocacy roads lead to dead ends. But good advocacy work always makes a difference. As racism, policing, and police reform were becoming the national public health story of the summer, student leaders led a remote advocacy initiative to continue bringing public health insights to the discourse.
The framers of the Affordable Care Act can be proud of many things the act has accomplished, from reducing the number of uninsured to assuring those with preexisting conditions are not excluded from coverage. Perhaps most significantly, the ACA has changed the way we think and the actual conversation we are having about health care coverage and care.