Law and public health policy

Two of the most important tools that assist states in protecting their populations against threats to health are public health policy and public health law. Policy can exist without recourse to law, but where policy has been designed for a long-term purpose, and where voluntary compliance has not proved successful, policy may need the heavier hand of law for implementation. However, law is not always an appropriate mechanism for achieving public health objectives. This article explores the boundaries of public health policy and public health law, and examines how they might work as dual mechanisms for public health.