What are the ethics in public health and addiction treatment? Is it for the better good of the public or the individual? Does the definition change when it comes to drugs?

Nicholas B. King is an associate professor in the Biomedical Ethics Unit and Department of Social Studies of Medicine, and associate member of Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health at McGill University. He directs the Montreal Health Equity Research Consortium (MHERC), a multi-disciplinary project investigating health and health equity research and policies. Dr. King conducts research in the following areas: (1) The role of social context, framing effects, and biases in the production and interpretation of health information; (2) Public health ethics and policy, including the ethics of biosecurity and public health preparedness; and (3) Health inequalities and the social determinants of health. He has published in the BMJ, PLOS Medicine, the American Journal of Public Health, and the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

What happens if you take prescribed medications and are worried about doing an employee drug test? The drug test is just one aspect of drug testing. A physician will review a persons medical history and prescription when considering drug tests. Dr. Kamer is such a physician. Listen to our conver

Russell Kamer, MD Occupational Med/Primary Care New York, USA

Russ Kamer, MD is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at New York Medical College and an Affiliate Physician in Medicine at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons. After serving as a Drug Testing Crew Chief for the National Collegiate Athletic Association and a Doping Control Medical Officer at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, Dr. Kamer co-founded Partners in Safety Occupational Medicine. In addition to practicing primary care and occupational medicine, Dr. Kamer has researched the impairing effects of marijuana.

Brooke Briggance comes from a multi-sector background in health, direct impact programming for children, youth and families, and non-profit work. She comes from lived experience, began her career in healthcare in the Department of Neurology at SUNY Stony Brook in New York, and has experience in administrative leadership and public education advocacy and reform. She served as the Executive Director of an education foundation and has worked as a consultant assisting in projects ranging from school district redesign, community engagement and best practices for non-profits. She currently serves as the Director for the Cypress Resilience Project and the Co-Director of FACES for the Future – both programs at Public Health Institute in Oakland, CA. She is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, a Certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor (Adult, Youth and teen), a Certified Trainer and Specialist in Trauma Informed Systems and Practice. She regularly supports organizations through training, technical assistance and policy design – all with a focus on trauma responsive practices including support for the workforce as they manage toxic stress, cumulative grief and burn-out.