Tuberculosis, Public Health, and Civil Liberties

The resurgence of tuberculosis confronts policy-makers with difficult legal and ethical questions about the proper use of state power and resources to protect public health. This chapter examines the implications of expanded use of invasive or coercive measures—including directly observed therapy, involuntary detention of noncompliant patients, and forced administration of medications—designed to reduce the risk of tuberculosis transmission and to ensure that those with TB are fully treated. These measures focus attention on the limitations of government power and obligation and on the delicate balance between the demands of civil liberty and the demands of public health.