Policy Archives

06.12.2026 black and white portrait of a young man

Anti-Transgender Laws and Youth Suicide

States with anti-transgender laws saw a 38-44% increase in youth suicide attempts in the year following the enactment of the law. (From 2025)

Fellow Dani Weissert

06.01.2026 A hand-drawn illustration of five young, diverse, queer individuals in front of a brick wall with a purple haze of smoke surrounding them

The Lavender Haze: Enabling a Healthy Queer Future

PHPod sits down with experts to discuss the health landscape that queer youth and young adults are facing in the United States. (From 2024)

Fellow Abby Varker

04.27.2026 A public drop box for used needles, on a neighborhood sidewalk by a building. The box is bright yellow and bears the standard bio-hazard symbol.

A public drop box for used needles, on a neighborhood sidewalk by a building. The box is bright yellow and bears the standard bio-hazard symbol.

Naloxone, Needles, and the Neighborhood: When Evidence Meets Values In the Opioid Crisis

Can a community insist on safety without turning away from people in crisis, and insist on mercy without asking neighbors to accept chaos?

Guest Author Brandon Huynh

04.09.2026 Close-up image of a male hand holding a burning cigarette with a swirl of smoke on a dark background. Tobacco concept

A Tricky Battle: The Tobacco Industry vs. Public Health

A statewide ban on flavored tobacco products in California has resulted in a decline in sales of e-cigarettes and cigarettes across the state.

Fellow Priyanka Athalye

03.26.2026 Terrell Winder, associate professor of sociology at UC Santa Barbara

Beyond Data: Where Sociology and Public Health Intersect

Terrell Winder, assistant professor of sociology at UC Santa Barbara, discusses how ethnographic research illuminates health disparities.

Fellow Bernadette Carter-Salmond

03.23.2026 Close up photo of pills falling and piling up on a black background. Opioid crisis concept

Deconstructing the Opioid Crisis

OxyContin serves as a powerful example of how corporate interest can drastically shape medical practice and health worldwide.

Fellow Mallika Chimpiri

03.19.2026 Portrait of a patient holding the caregiver's hand while spending time together. Elderly health care concept

Shifting the Costs of Nursing Home Care

Cuts under the OBBBA could push states and nursing homes to revive filial laws, forcing adult children to pay for parents’ long-term care.

Guest Authors Monica Aswani, Paul Shafer

03.05.2026 Cooling towers releasing steam into a clear blue sky at a nuclear power complex

Cancer In the Shadow of Nuclear Plants

The promise of a cleaner, nuclear-powered grid must be weighed alongside the health of the communities living near these facilities.

Fellow Rowena Lindsay

03.04.2026 "We Accept SNAP" sign in window of grocery store with yellow grocery carts out front

When Food Stamps Fall Short

When SNAP work requirements were reinstated in 2016, coverage losses were likely driven by administrative barriers rather than workforce gains.

Fellow Mallika Chimpiri

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