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Public health is concerned with the health of populations, not just individuals,
and it is in that spirit that I suggest it would behoove us to complete the
unfinished business of applying what we already know. For all our differences,
we are in fact one population in terms of health – a population in which we
benefit collectively from the millions of individual acts that make us healthier
– the smokers who quit, the children who exercise more and have healthier
diets, and so on. As I’ve tried to point out, these individual acts are
greatly influenced by our public policies – whether they are smoke-free
workplaces, safe walking paths and parks, or healthier menu options in
groceries, cafeterias, and restaurants. (And even in hotel banquet rooms...)
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