The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA
The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA
4130.0: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 12:35 PM
Abstract #71048
An Overview of the Precautionary Principle
Ted Schettler, MD, MPH, Science and Environmental Health Network, 84 water st, newburyport, MA 01950, 978-462-4092,
According to the precautionary principle, when there are credible threats of harm, policy decisions should be guided by precautionary measures, even in the face of scientific uncertainty. The precautionary principle is explicitly enshrined in a number of regulations, laws, and treaties at local, regional, national, and international levels. During the past ten years, increasing interest in the use of the precautionary principle as a guide for decision making in the United States and throughout the world has sparked vigorous debate about what it means and how it can be implemented. As an overarching guide to decision making, the precautionary principle links science and ethics, with an emphasis on transparency, democratic participation, alternatives assessment, and shifting the burden of proof. This presentation will review the origins of the precautionary principle and describe its essential elements. Various kinds of scientific uncertainty will be discussed, showing why some are more easily reduced than others. Strategies for dealing with uncertainty and options for precautionary action in the context of uncertainty will be presented. Examples of the use of the precautionary principle will demonstrate its versatility. Common criticisms and concerns arising from proposed use of the principle will also be discussed.
Learning Objectives:
Describe the essential elements of the precautionary principle.
List three examples of the precautionary principle in regulations, laws, or treaties at local, regional, national, or international levels.
Identify strategies for dealing with uncertainty and options for precautionary action in the context of uncertainty.
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.
