Mandating Health Behaviors – How Far Should It Go?

ABSTRACT

Using Smoke-Free and Tobacco-Free policies on college and university campuses as an example this article discusses these initiatives in the context of the role of health educators and health education programs. Issues raised are ones that health educators need to consider in any intervention effort. While the importance of intervention is well recognized, what interventions to implement are less clear and raises important philosophical, ethical and practical questions relating to issues such as individual freedom, personal autonomy, beneficence, paternalism and collective good. This article attempts to identify and discuss these issues within the context of ethical principles and the Responsibilities and Competencies for Health Education Specialists and the Health Educator Code of Ethics. It also extends the discussion to another area of concern – obesity.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.