The public perception of precaution.

نویسندگان

  • Holger Schütz
  • Peter Wiedemann
  • Martin Clauberg
چکیده

In their recent Talking Point articles, Martin Peterson and Andrew Stirling debated whether the precautionary principle could act as a basis for rational decisionmaking in the face of unknown or unclear dangers (Peterson, 2007; Stirling, 2007). In addition to the problem of measuring the effectiveness of implementation, there is— more fundamentally—little understanding at present of how implementing the precautionary principle can affect the public’s perception of risk. This is of special importance considering that, in the absence of clear evidence, the perception of risk often drives a debate and any subsequent requests for a precautionary approach. Precautionand risk-taking can be regarded as two sides of the same coin. Precaution-taking, in particular, is best described as the implementation—either temporarily or permanently—of measures intended to prevent harm when risks are unknown, unclear or unproven. Although many international regulatory bodies are still formulating their guidelines for a rational application of the precautionary principle to environmental health, a number of European countries—ostensibly encouraged by the European Commission’s communication on the precautionary principle (EC, 2000)—have already implemented policies to prevent potential harm, partly as an approach to deal with public concerns. Clearly, there is ample controversy about why, when and how to invoke the precautionary principle as a protective measure; however, so far, there has been little attention paid to whether the measures actually achieve the desired effects. Two questions have rarely been addressed by research: do precautionary measures really deliver improved protection and do people feel safer when they know that precautionary measures are in place to protect their health? Regarding the first question, it is logically impossible to predict the effects of precaution-taking if the nature or presence presumably because people perceive the need for implementing precautionary measures as indicators of risk. A British study of public responses to information about the possible health risks of mobile phones found similar results (Barnett et al, 2006). The challenge of drafting precautionary policies in the context of risk perception and social values is not unique to mobile communication; it is also relevant to understanding how emerging technologies and the related public debates—for example, biotechnology and nanotechnology—might be unexpectedly affected by the implementation of precautionary measures. Clearly, the challenge is to communicate the reasons behind precaution-taking so that additional measures are seen as indicators of increased safety, rather than as a confirmation of the existence and seriousness of a risk.

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

Risk perception and smoking behavior in medically ill smokers: a prospective study.

AIMS To examine the influence of risk perception on intentions to quit smoking and post-treatment abstinence. DESIGN Prospective and longitudinal. SETTING United States. PARTICIPANTS A total of 237 adult smokers (mean age 56 years) receiving medical care from home health-care nurses. Participants did not have to want to quit smoking to participate, but received cessation counseling within...

متن کامل

Competence of Public Institutions in Food Safety Control: A Consumer Perception Survey in Ghana

Background: Ensuring food safety and minimizing risks require coordinated efforts of various institutions. The objective of this study was to determine how Ghanaian consumers score the competence of public institutions in controlling food safety risks and the effects of this perceived score on their level of concerns about food safety risks. Methods: Totally, semi-structured questionnaire admi...

متن کامل

An evaluation of precaution-based approaches as EMF policy tools in community environments.

This paper explores the use of precaution-based approaches as policy tools when responding to concerns about power-frequency electric and magnetic fields (EMF) in community environments. The combination of public concern and scientific uncertainty about potential health impacts from exposure to EMF challenges society to adopt EMF policies that balance the benefits of electric power against the ...

متن کامل

Commentary: the role of toxicology in prevention and precaution.

Advocates of the Precautionary Principle have recently called for a "new science" to support the goals of precaution-based environmental and occupational health policy. While much attention has been given to epidemiology, the evidentiary science most relevant to precaution, or prevention, is toxicology. Opportunities for enhancing the role of toxicology in public policy must consider current bi...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

عنوان ژورنال:
  • EMBO reports

دوره 8 7  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2007