ACLU's Press Release/Report - Government Must Abandon Misguided Approach to Pandemic Preparedness

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ACLU Report: Government Must Abandon Misguided Approach to

Pandemic Preparedness (1/14/2008)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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WASHINGTON – As fears of a flu pandemic have grown, the Bush administration

has pursued a misguided approach to pandemic preparation that relies on a law

enforcement/national security approach, rather than a public health approach to

the problem, and which exposes Americans to unnecessary risk. That is the

finding of an expert report being released today by the American Civil Liberties

Union at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

“A law enforcement approach is just the wrong tool for the job when it comes

to fighting disease,” said Barry Steinhardt, director of the ACLU’s Technology

and Liberty Program. “History makes clear that a heavy-handed, coercive

approach to pandemics that treats the sick as potential enemies is not only an

unnecessary violation of civil liberties but is also ineffective from a public

health standpoint and will leave more Americans stranded, sick and untreated.”

The report was prepared for the ACLU by three prominent experts on the

subject: s and K. Mariner of Boston University School of Public

Health, and E. Parmet of Northeastern Law School.

“When people are sick, they want help – help getting treated and help ensuring

they don’t make others sick,” said Parmet. “History shows that treating sick

people like potential enemies only spurs them to avoid the authorities and

exacerbates the spread of disease.”

The report was being released today in a press conference at the National

Press Club in Washington DC, followed by a panel discussion with several top

experts.

“It is true that there are always a few cases where individuals flout the law

and put other people at risk,” said Parmet. “But existing government

authorities provide ample powers for dealing with such cases – and the problem

is that our pandemic preparations are being centered around such contingencies,

rather than from the long list of gaping needs that public health experts say we

face in preparing for and responding to a real pandemic.”

The report is online at

http://www.aclu.org/privacy/medical/33642pub20080114.html

Video of an ACLU-hosted panel discussion featuring Parmet and other experts

discussing pandemic preparedness will be made available online at

www.aclu.org/future.

Randi J. Airola, © 517-819-5926