What core public health principles should guide the GEG Bill?

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Core Public Health Principles for the GEG Bill

The Control of Tobacco Product and Smoking Bill 2022, also known as the Generational End Game (GEG) Bill, should be guided by three fundamental public health principles: duty, power, and restraint. These principles aim to balance the government's responsibility to promote population health with the protection of individual liberties and the avoidance of governmental overreach.
The Principle of Duty

The GEG Bill should embody the principle of duty, which obliges the government to actively promote the health and well-being of its population. This means the legislation must establish clear governmental responsibilities in safeguarding public health, ensuring that measures are implemented to achieve positive health outcomes for all citizens.
The Principle of Power

A crucial element of the GEG Bill is the principle of power, granting public health authorities sufficient authority to regulate both individuals and businesses. This regulatory power is essential for achieving collective benefits related to health and security, such as ensuring access to clean air and water, promoting safe products, maintaining healthy workplaces, and controlling infectious diseases. While regulatory power may appear to conflict with civil liberties, a certain level of health is a prerequisite for individuals to exercise their rights and enjoy life.
The Principle of Restraint

Complementing the power principle is the principle of restraint, which acts as a safeguard against governmental overreach in the pursuit of public health objectives. Public health authorities must exercise their powers judiciously, respecting individual autonomy, liberty, privacy, and proprietary rights to the greatest extent possible. Actions taken should be based on clear criteria and demonstrably necessary for community protection, ensuring that the pursuit of public health does not unduly infringe upon fundamental freedoms.

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What core public health principles should guide the GEG Bill?

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