Robin Koval

Social Epidemiology: Public Health + Social Movements | Future of Health Summit 2023

Richard Ditizio, John Feinblatt, Robin Koval, Jesse Milan Jr.

This panel explores how US life expectancy trends are being eroded by social determinants of health, drawing strategic parallels between the successful tobacco control movement and current efforts to curb gun violence and HIV-related disparities. Speakers detail how grassroots coalitions like Everytown and Moms Demand Action shifted political calculus through litigation, corporate pressure, and state-level strategies to bypass federal gridlock and pierce industry legal fortresses. The discussion concludes by outlining future interventions, including product safety innovation, the "tobacco end game" to eliminate social license, and the critical role of corporate investment and social media responsibility in addressing commercial determinants of health.