The precautionary principle is increasingly being invoked in attempts to ameliorate the harmful effects of human activities. Increasingly, there is a tension between public health interventions and calls for precaution. Some researchers have noted that public health scientists should apply precaution to their own actions, in order to avoid unintended consequences. Yet, such tensions need not exist. Precaution should be seen as a way to maximize risk reduction opportunities. Instead of thinking about decisions the choice between two actions, precaution encourages public health scientists to think about a variety of alternatives that can reduce harm. It also encourages a broader examination of the scientific evidence and acknowledgement of uncertainty as well as the development of goals for protecting public health from environmental risks. A case study is presented focusing on the current debates over spraying for mosquitoes that transmit the West Nile Virus. It is concluded that public health authorities must go beyond the simple choice between spray and no spray, but to look at a range of ways to reduce both pesticide risk and risk of West Nile Virus to humans, and the root causes of the increase in mosquito borne illnesses in this country.
Learning Objectives: To show application of the precautionary principle to pesticide spraying.
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.