There’s a concept in business called the “decoy effect,” whereby crafty marketers present an unfavorable option to manipulate consumers toward a more profitable one. The classic business-school example is movie theaters providing three sizes of popcorn: the price of the…
Sacramento San Francisco politicians and civic leaders love to think of themselves as cutting-edge free spirits who are so much more tolerant than the rubes found in America’s hinterlands. Hey, we have San Francisco values. We aren’t foolish Puritans when…
Last week Scott Gottlieb announced his resignation as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Unfortunately and unexpectedly, Gottlieb’s reign was a departure from lessening of government regulations so prevalent in other areas of the Trump Administration. His tenure culminated…
Certain requirements must be met for a public health issue to be classified an epidemic. These include a demonstrable negative health impact — and victims. The flu is a yearly epidemic, and opioid addiction is turning rapidly into a serious…
In the 1990s, more than 40 states sued the major tobacco manufacturers to recoup costs allegedly incurred from treating smoking-related illnesses. After years of courtroom battles, the two sides developed the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). Under MSA, the companies agreed…
Efforts to prevent smoking have been remarkably successful in the United States, shrinking the number of smokers from more than 60 percent to almost 15 percent of the adult population — but with an estimated 36.5 million Americans still lighting…