The precautionary principle and epidemiology: a contradictio in terminis?

The precautionary principle and epidemiology: a contradictio in terminis?

The Precautionary Principle, epidemiology and the ethics of delay.

Ethics tells us: do good and do no harm and invokes the norms of justice, equity and respect for autonomy in protecting and promoting health and well-being. The Precautionary Principle, a contemporary re-definition of Bradford Hill's case for action, gives us a common sense rule for doing good by preventing harm to public health from delay: when in doubt about the presence of a hazard, there sh...

Why epidemiology of endocrine disruptors warrants the precautionary principle *

The precautionary principle is controversial, and critics invoke the need to wait for “sound science” before taking “costly” regulatory action. For human health effects, epidemiologic results are often considered more valuable than toxicologic studies in animals. Direct human evidence on the endocrine effects of environmental chemicals has been slow to accumulate because of inherent sample size...

Standing and the Precautionary Principle

Implementing the precautionary principle.

The precautionary principle can be found in international treaties that protect human health and the environment from a variety of pollutants and perturbations. One of the earliest forms of the precautionary principle was used in the 1980s in Europe to protect the North Sea. In 1992, the Rio Declaration specifically included the precautionary principle in calling on nations to protect the envir...