Health inequalities have re-emerged as a major issue in the 21st century. Yet the past history of this subject has been little understood. What causes health inequalities? How can they be tackled?

Binge drinking, particularly in young women, has become big news. Debates about the regulation and classification of cannabis are frequently voiced. Cigarette smoking is banned in public places, and emotive public health campaigns seek to reduce its use still further. Yet there are many sides to each of these arguments, and if we look back over the last 150 years, we see massive variety in the ways societies and states have related to drugs, drink, and tobacco.
Virginia Berridge offers a much-needed long view, which helps illuminate our current concerns, and shows how three separate...

Part of the Understanding Public Health series, this book offers a critical overview of public health in the 19th and 20th centuries as well as critical and long-term perspectives on current issues.

Public health is a term much used in the media, by health professionals, and by activists. At the national or the local level there are ministries or departments of public health, whilst international agencies such as the World Health Organization promote public health policies, and regional organizations such as the European Union have public health funding and policies. But what do we mean when we speak about "public health?"

In this Very Short Introduction Virginia Berridge explores the areas which fall under the remit of public health, and explains how the individual...