Terrorism and Public Health A Balanced Approach to Strengthening Systems and Protecting People

by Levy, Barry S.; Sidel, Victor W.

• ISBN13: 9780199765546
• ISBN10: 0199765545
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-11-25
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The first edition of this book was published almost a decade ago to provide a comprehensive examination of the relationship between terrorism and public health. It also described what health professionals could do to mitigate the consequences of terrorist attacks and threats, and to address the underlying causes of terrorism. This completely revised second edition provides new information on emergency preparedness and response planning as well as lessons learned from responses to terrorist attacks in the United States and other countries. Expert scholars and practitioners of public health explore the historical roots of terrorism and address potential terrorist weapons and their control. They also explore in detail the adverse health consequences of the "war on terror," including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, other violations of human rights and civil liberties, diversion of resources, and the adverse impact on civil society organizations. Arguing for a more balanced approach to preparedness, the editors and contributors to this second edition describe challenges and opportunities for strengthening the public health system, protecting disaster rescue and recovery workers, and promoting domestic and international law related to terrorism.

Author Biography

Barry S. Levy, MD, MPH, is an Adjunct Professor of Public Health at Tufts University School of Medicine and a consultant in occupational and environmental health. Trained in internal medicine and preventive medicine, he served as a medical epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and as a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He worked in Kenya for the Carter Center and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Dr. Levy served as a program director at Management Sciences for Health and as Executive Director of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. Overall, he has worked in more than 20 countries. He served as President of APHA.

Victor W. Sidel, MD, is Distinguished University Professor of Social Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and an Adjunct Professor of Public Health at Weill Cornell Medical College. Trained in internal medicine and public health, he headed the Community Medicine Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital and chaired the Department of Social Medicine at Montefiore and Einstein. Dr. Sidel was a founder of the Physicians for Social Responsibility and the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, which was the recipient of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize. He has served as President of both organizations, and as President of APHA and the Public Health Association of New York City.

Table of Contents

Contributors	p. xv
Introduction
Challenges That Terrorism Poses to Public Health	p. 5
Guiding Principles for a Public Health Response to Terrorism	p. 11
Has the Nation's Response to Terrorism Strengthened the Public Health System?	p. 14
The Roots of Terrorism	p. 23
Addressing Public Opinion in Muslim Communities	p. 27
Public Health Responses to Terrorist Attacks
The Public Health Response to the World Trade Center Attack and Its Aftermath by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene	p. 43
Investigating the Health Consequences of the World Trade Center Attack	p. 67
The Anthrax Epidemic of 2001	p. 80
The Terrorist Attacks in Madrid, London, and Bali	p. 96
The Mental Health Consequences of Terrorism	p. 113
The Experiences of Two Mental Health Professionals	p. 114
Terrorism, the Media, and Hate Crimes	p. 117
Potential Terrorist Weapons and Their Control
Small Arms and Light Weapons	p. 237
Ihe 2011 Norway Massacre	p. 149
Nuclear and Radiological Weapons	p. 155
International Control of Nuclear Weapons	p. 160
Radiation Hazards from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Complex After the 2011 Earthquake in Japan	p. 175
Chemical Weapons	p. 183
Biological Weapons	p. 203
Research on Biological Weapons	p. 204
A Community Salmonellosis Epidemic Caused by Intentional Contamination of Restaurant Salad Bars	p. 211
Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning
Public Health Preparedness in the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health	p. 227
Predicting and Planning for Public Health Emergencies	p. 238
Adverse Effects of the "War on Terror"
Protecting Civil Liberties and Human Rights	p. 253
The Bill of Rights	p. 254
The Model State Emergency Health Powers Act	p. 259
Public Health Consequences of the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq	p. 266
A Soldier's View	p. 275
Physicians and Psychologists as Enablers of Torture	p. 284
The Impact of Anti-terrorism Law and Policy on Civil Society Organizations in the United States	p. 303
Challenges and Opportunities
Strengthening the Public Health System	p. 319
Protecting Emergency Response and Recovery Workers	p. 342
Integrating Psychological and Behavioral Components into Organizational Preparedness	p. 347
Compensating Disaster Workers' Injuries or Diseases	p. 356
Promoting Domestic and International Law	p. 362
Appendix: A List of Some Organizations That Promote Peace and Address Issues Related to Emergency Preparedness and Response	p. 375
Index	p. 379
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