Public Health and Role of Government - Essay Example

The paper "Public Health and Role of Government" is a wonderful example of an assignment on social science. One action that the US health system can take to combat preventable deaths caused by smoking is illegalized tobacco use. To limit the use of tobacco, it can be legalized but made too expensive for a common man to afford every day. While the elite will still be able to use tobacco every day, the elite is also rich enough to afford too expensive treatment should there be a need. “The government should also use regulatory, pricing, and health information mechanisms to substantially reduce salt and trans fats in prepared and packaged foods and to support research that can find effective strategies for modifying the other dietary, lifestyle, and metabolic risk factors that cause large numbers of premature deaths in the U.S.” (Ezzati cited in Harvard T.H. Chan, 2009). In doing so, the government is unarguably intruding on the lives of individuals in its attempt to modify the behavior so that preventable deaths can be reduced, but some level of intrusion is not only inevitable but also necessary for the well-being of the people. The government is not only intruding on people’s lives in this manner, but the government has no option but to intrude in all matters ranging from traffic laws to media censorship. Being responsible for the well-being, empowerment, and development of the state and the people, the government should be deeply involved in influencing the decisions made by people. However, while it engages in efforts to make people’s lives healthier, the government should also produce and broadcast educative programs that create awareness among people regarding the necessity and benefits of the laws and restrictions imposed by the government.