Interest groups are made up of several individuals with a common perspective concerning a particular issue or topic that a public policy regulates. The consequence, therefore, is that these individuals work together to ensure their perspectives are represented in the policy. Benjamin et al. (2017) postulate that the main purpose of interests groups is to impact policies and this is usually achieved through lobbying. An example of a health-related interest group is the American Heart Association which focuses on eradicating stroke and heart disease. The American Heart Association has vastly grown for the last one hundred years and it dedicates to improving the quality of healthcare and reducing the mortality rate based on stroke and heart diseases. The other vital function of this interest group is to represent the different groups in the community and ensure that they access quality healthcare. The American Heart Association thus acts as the voice of the common citizens.
The American Heart Association has vastly influenced the recent health policy aiming at eradicating tobacco and drug use. The interest group has not only created awareness of the dangers of tobacco and drug use to the human body but also funded research studies that further give information relating to the health risks emanating from using these harmful substances. According to the American Heart Association, using these illegal drugs and tobacco not only trigger heart diseases but also result to other severe effects ,for instance, distorted veins and impaired judgment (Mozaffarian et al.,2016). The interest group has, therefore, played a major role in the implementation of this policy by educating and mobilizing the public towards an effective policymaking process. The American Heart Association also seeks to educate the health professionals, members, government representative and potential members about this policy, making it even more effective and productive.
Reference
Benjamin, E. J., Muntner, P., Alonso, A., Bittencourt, M. S., Callaway, C. W., Carson, A. P., &
Delling, F. N. (2017). Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2019 Update: A Report From
The American Heart Association. Circulation, CIR-0000000000000659.
Mozaffarian, D., Benjamin, E. J., Go, A. S., Arnett, D. K., Blaha, M. J., Cushman, M., … &
Howard, V. J. (2016). Executive summary: heart disease and stroke statistics-2016
update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 133(4), 447-454.