![]() Persson 2016 suggests criteria to guide when the principle is applicable. ![]() Morris 2000 and Holdway 2009 offer analyses of definitions with an emphasis on difficulties for using them as a conceptual foundation for precautionary action. Sandin 1999 and Grandjean 2004 offer analyses of definitions combined with advocacy perspectives. United Nations General Assembly 1992 offers one of the most frequently cited definitions. Gilbert 2020 provides a convenient overview. ![]() These references discuss influential statements that include definitions of the precautionary principle and analyses of various definitions. No single formulation has been universally adopted. It is multidisciplinary with references to the literature of philosophy, ethics, law, economics, public policy, technology, risk analysis, toxicology, and other fields as well as public health.Ī difficulty in studying the precautionary principle is that it has been formulated in a variety of ways with varying implications for when and how precautionary action should be implemented. This article is an introductory guide to diverse formulations, analyses, applications, controversies, and implications of the precautionary principle relevant to public health practice. International, national, local, and public health organizations have formally adopted frameworks for applying the precautionary principle. The precautionary principle has been applied to biotechnology, chemical pollutants, radiation exposure, food safety, medical technologies, occupational hazards, exposure to pathogenic organisms, and other public health concerns. Advocates for precautionary action against speculated threats have traditionally referred to commonsensical notions such as “better to be safe than sorry” and “better to err on the side of caution.” Since the 1970s, these notions have been codified into various formulations of the “precautionary principle” and have been invoked when scientific support is lacking as justifications for restricting specific technologies and requiring warnings. But when there are significant gaps in the scientific understanding of putative hazards, precautionary regulatory policies and recommendations to consumers are often controversial. When hazards are well established with scientific evidence, precautionary action is most likely to receive consensus support. Precautionary actions to protect health and ensure safety have always been an important part of public health practice.
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