Do we need a new law or regulation? The public health decision process.

New laws or regulations may not be a practical response to a public health threat. While in some instances legislation or regulation may be the only alternative to protecting the public's health, in many situations public health authorities and their legal counsel must consider alternative approaches to abating threats. This article provides an overview of the alternatives available to the public health official by providing discussion of a "legal tool box" available to public health officials. It also presents scenarios, with commentary, that serve as the basis for illustration of other means of intervention.