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Adolescent Health: Are We Willing to Pay the Price for Inaction?
Author(s) -
Elders M. Joycelyn,
Barnes Amy Oliver,
Wohlleb James C.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
review of policy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1541-1338
pISSN - 1541-132X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1541-1338.1994.tb00587.x
Subject(s) - legislator , disadvantaged , prosperity , wishful thinking , session (web analytics) , state (computer science) , democracy , face (sociological concept) , work (physics) , political science , public administration , sociology , law , business , psychology , politics , social psychology , advertising , social science , mechanical engineering , legislation , algorithm , computer science , engineering
Several years ago, a legislator spoke clearly of the wishful unawareness we often confront in public health. After a session of frank exchange in his committee about teen pregnancy in Arkansas, he said, “Dr. Elders, until you became the health department director, we didn't have this problem.” The facts paint a startling scenario for such people. We have not provided an environment in which our children can flourish. Instead, we have allowed the number of children who are economically, educationally, and medically disadvantaged to grow. Called “at‐risk,” their existence is an affront to democratic ideals, especially the belief that all have an equal chance for prosperity. It is time for true reform, but before that can happen, we must face the state of our children's health. After this, we must set to work at effective strategies.