SIG 1: LAWATLAS: THE POWER OF POLICY SURVEILLANCE FOR PREVENTION SCIENCE

Law is a powerful tool in advancing prevention science and improving population health. Laws directly affect the safety, health and well-being of persons by structuring and shaping the physical and social environments in which people live, which in turn, affects a multitude of toxic and beneficial social and physical exposures, and a multitude of risk and protective behaviors.  Laws also support or impede positive values in a culture of health and well-being. Laws have many effects on the social determinants of health, including economic (in)equality, access to quality education and safe places to live. Understanding how policies vary across jurisdictions, how these variations develop over time, and the behavioral and social effects of law is central to advancing prevention science in the 21^st century. In this SIG we:  (1) introduce LawAtlas, a new integrated policy surveillance platform developed by the RWJF-funded National Public Health Law Research program, and (2) lead a discussion on better integrating policy research into the field of prevention science.