Public Health Advocacy Institute

Dec. Issue of Atlantic: PHAI’s Daynard and Friedman Comment in Powerful Gambling Addiction Article

In a powerful long-form article by by John Rosengren covers the impact of gambling addiction and the predatory casino industry.  The article, entitled “How Casinos Enable Gambling Addicts,” details the ways that electronic gambling machines, like slot machines, along with outrageously predatory tactics used by casinos to bait problem gamblers, combine to destroy the lives […]

Dec. Issue of Atlantic: PHAI’s Daynard and Friedman Comment in Powerful Gambling Addiction Article Read More »

PHAI’s Gottlieb Comments on FDA Regulations’ Effect on Vaping Industry on All Things Considered

On August 8, 2016, new regulations by the FDA went into effect that have a profound impact on a major segment of the electronic cigarette industry:  vape shops.  The shops that mix flavors for vaping products are now considered to be manufacturers and subject to the same requirements as manufactures owned by the companies that

PHAI’s Gottlieb Comments on FDA Regulations’ Effect on Vaping Industry on All Things Considered Read More »

Spending 45 Minutes with 80 of My Fellow Altria Shareholders

by Edward L. Sweda, Jr. As soon as Altria Group, Inc. Chairman, CEO and President Martin J. Barrington opened the 2016 Annual Shareholders Meeting, he boasted that 2015 had been “another terrific year.”  The “excellent business results” included dividends increasing by 8.7% (to $4.2 billion) and a shareholder return of more than 23%.  Marlboro, with

Spending 45 Minutes with 80 of My Fellow Altria Shareholders Read More »

PHAI’s Daynard Discusses Tony Gwynn Lawsuit on ESPN and in the New York Times

On May 23, 2016, the widow and children of baseball great Tony Gwynn filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Altria Group alleging that the manufacturers of Skoal smokeless tobacco’s negligence, fraud, defective design, and failure-to-warn caused the death of the Hall of Famer in 2014. Richard Daynard, PHAI’s president and University Distinguished Professor of Law at Northeastern

PHAI’s Daynard Discusses Tony Gwynn Lawsuit on ESPN and in the New York Times Read More »

A Rainy day in Winston-Salem

By Edward L. Sweda, Jr. When Reynolds American International (RAI) President and CEO Susan M. Cameron told the company’s 2016 annual shareholders meeting that it is “always a pleasure to report good news,” this shareholder was reminded of a similar message: “Alive with Pleasure.”  That ubiquitous advertising slogan for Newport cigarettes – which RAI acquired

A Rainy day in Winston-Salem Read More »

Support PHAI’s Violence Transformed Program

In 2015, a remarkable program moved to PHAI. Violence Transformed is an annual series of visual and performing arts events that celebrate the power of art, artists, and art-making to confront, challenge and mediate violence.  Violence Transformed furthers our public health goal of reducing preventable injury. Project Director, Mary Harvey, recently sent out this request for support:

Support PHAI’s Violence Transformed Program Read More »

Northeastern University School of Law to Host Conference Examining Individual Choice and Public Health

Are individuals responsible for their own health? Or does the health of individuals depend upon the health of their communities? And, can we have healthy communities without restricting individual choice? Conflicts between individual choice and collective action underlie many of the most contested and challenging debates relating to health and health care, from the very

Northeastern University School of Law to Host Conference Examining Individual Choice and Public Health Read More »

No More Heart Health Valentines from Coke

By Cara Wilking, JD, Consulting Attorney, Public Health Advocacy Institute [PLEASE NOTE: This blog post was prepared prior to unexplained changes to Coca-Cola’s database of its funding of organizations in the United States. The information reflects the dollar amounts initially reported by Coca-Cola in the Fall of 2015.] For years, the month of February has been the

No More Heart Health Valentines from Coke Read More »