Public Policy Positions of VtPHA

Healthy Communities

Environmental Health..

The Vermont Public Health Association (VtPHA) recognizes the interconnection between human health and the environment. This includes the natural, built, and social environment. The VtPHA supports initiatives to monitor and reduce the level of pathogens and toxins in our food, water, air, and land. This involves protection against health hazards and the preservation of natural resources.

VtPHA supports efforts that:

• Utilize a precautionary approach and primary prevention to reduce or eliminate creation of conditions that may adversely impact health
• Recognize the differing susceptibility to toxic exposures through the life cycle with special attention to the potential impacts to children and sensitive populations and the potential of bioaccumulation
• Focus on community design and the built environment to create the conditions in which we can be healthy
• Aim to reduce or eliminate, wherever possible, toxins to the environment and human health.

The VtPHA supports programs and initiatives that achieve the following:

• Reduction in childhood exposure to lead
• Continuation of radon intervention to assess and reduce household exposures
• Prevention and abatement of air and water pollution
• Elimination of environmental tobacco smoke in public settings
• Establishment of standards for sound environmental policy
• Reduction of internal combustion emissions

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