Author Archives: Robert Nelb

Sometimes, public health advocates have to play politics. I normally write about local public health problems, but given the events of this past week, it is necessary to tackle broader issues affecting communities like ours across the nation. Poor public policy has become the newest risk factor for poor health. Yet after the results of »

When tragedy strikes, people start listening. Within the past month, we have read on the front page of the News that both a Yale student and a New Haven police officer were struck by cars at busy intersections. One is suffering from serious injuries, and the other passed away on Saturday. As we mourn this »

Welcome to the Public Health Perspective, a new biweekly column about public health at Yale and in New Haven. (Warning: It just may change the way you think.) First of all, don’t expect your grandma’s public health column. I won’t be writing about sanitation, cholera or bubonic plague. The public health of the 21st century »

The “Bright College Years” of free-flowing alcohol seem to be numbered. Last week, Harvard University announced its stricter-than-ever tailgate regulations for The Game, and next week, Connecticut’s new no-exceptions alcohol policy takes effect. For better or worse, these new policies are a fait accompli, and the onus is now on students and administrators about how »

One cannot escape a Yale dining hall without noticing the organic, sustainable and healthy food that’s offered at every meal. Not only do “chicks dig it,” but the new menu is tasty, it’s good for the environment and it’s become a new selling point for the Yale admissions office. A win-win for everyone, right? Maybe »

Students interested in public health may have had a tough time looking for classes this year. Squeezed between psychology and religious studies, the short blurb on public health wasn’t even long enough to merit a page marker for perusing bluebookers. While the administration is making progress with expanding public health-related courses on campus, Yale can »

Open any newspaper and you’ll find a story about public health. Whether AIDS or avian flu, obesity or the uninsured, public health problems aren’t going away. The United States’ grossly inefficient system fails millions of people; abroad, globalization brings the threat of new and old epidemics closer to home. Such problems demand innovative solutions. In »