Tobacco

least free less free freer freest
   Country Tax (30) Advert- ising (10) Packa- ging (10) Display ban (5) Smoking ban (30) Vending Machine (5) Snus (5) Heated Tabacco (5) Grand TOTAL (100) Weigh- ted Total (one sixth)
1 UK 15.9 10 10 5 20.4 5 5 3 74.3 12.4
2 Romania 30 9 0 0 19.2 5 5 4 72.2 12
3 Hungary 18.9 9 10 0 19.2 5 5 4 71.1 11.9
4 Ireland 16.2 10 10 5 19.8 0 5 2 68 11.3
5 Bulgaria 21.9 9 0 0 18.6 5 5 5 64.5 10.8
6 Greece 17.1 9 0 4 19.8 5 5 4 63.9 10.7
7 France 13.5 10 10 0 18.6 5 5 1 63.1 10.5
8 Latvia 14.4 10 0 5 19.2 5 5 4 62.6 10.4
9 Slovenia 8.4 10 10 5 14.4 5 5 2 59.8 10
10 Norway 7.2 10 10 5 17.4 5 0 5 56.6 9.9
11 Netherlands 9.9 9 10 5 16.8 0 5 2 57.7 9.6
12 Croatia 15.6 10 0 5 12.5 5 5 3 56.2 9.4
13 Lithuania 15 10 0 0 17.4 5 5 3 55.4 9.2
14 Finland 11.4 10 0 5 15.6 5 5 2 54 9
15 Estonia 12.9 10 0 5 13.8 5 5 2 53.7 9
16 Poland 15 9 0 0 14.4 5 5 3 51.4 8.6
17 Malta 11.4 10 0 0 19.8 0 5 5 51.2 8.6
18 Belgium 8.1 10 10 0 15.6 0 5 1 49.7 8.3
19 Cyprus 8.1 9 0 0 19.8 5 5 2 48.9 8.1
20 Iceland 4.5 10 0 4 18 5 5 2 48.5 8.1
21 Slovakia 16.8 9 0 0 9 5 5 3 47.8 8
22 Czechia 12 9 0 0 18 0 5 2 46 7.7
23 Spain 9.6 10 0 0 19.8 0 5 1 45.4 7.6
24 Italy 9 9 0 0 16.8 0 5 2 41.8 7
25 Denmark 7.8 9 0 5 9.6 4 5 1 41.4 6.9
26 Portugal 13.8 9 0 0 10.2 0 5 3 41 6.8
27 Austria 6 9 0 0 19.8 0 5 1 40.8 6.8
28 Sweden 6.3 10 0 0 16.8 0 0 2 35.1 5.9
29 Luxembourg 3.6 9 0 0 13.2 0 5 1 31.8 5.3
30 Germany 7.2 6 0 0 9 0 5 1 28.2 4.7
 
 

Smoking Bans

least free less free freer freest
 
Country Bar (10) Restaurant (10) Workplace (10) Vehicles (10) Outdoors (10) Total (50) Final Score (30)
UK 10 10 10 3 1 34 20.4
Cyprus 10 10 10 2 0 33 19.8
Greece 10 10 10 1 2 33 19.8
Ireland 10 10 10 3 0 33 19.8
Malta 10 10 10 3 0 33 19.8
Spain 10 10 10 0 3 33 19.8
Austria 10 10 10 0 3 33 19.8
Hungary 10 10 10 0 2 32 19.2
Latvia 10 10 8 0 4 32 19.2
Romania 10 10 10 0 2 32 19.2
Bulgaria 9 10 10 0 2 31 18.6
France 8 8 8 3 4 31 18.6
Czechia 10 10 10 0 0 30 18
Iceland 10 10 10 0 0 30 18
Lithuania 8 8 5 2 6 29 17.4
Norway 9 10 10 0 0 29 17.4
Italy 8 8 8 3 1 28 16.8
Netherlands 10 10 8 0 0 28 16.8
Sweden 7 7 7 0 7 28 16.8
Belgium 7 7 7 3 2 26 15.6
Finland 7 7 7 2 3 26 15.6
Poland 8 8 8 0 0 24 14.4
Slovenia 7 7 7 3 0 24 14.4
Estonia 7 7 7 2 0 23 13.8
Luxembourg 6 7 7 1 1 22 13.2
Croatia 5 10 5 0 1 21 12.6
Portugal 5 5 5 0 2 17 10.2
Denmark 5 5 5 0 1 16 9.6
Germany 5 5 5 0 0 15 9
Slovakia 5 5 5 0 0 15 9

About

The Nanny State Index (NSI) is a league table of the worst places in Europe to eat, drink, smoke and vape. The initiative was launched in March 2016 and was a media hit right across Europe. It is masterminded and led by IEA’s Christopher Snowdon with partners from all over Europe.

Enquiries: info@epicenternetwork.eu

Download the pdf here.


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Previous version: 2019

Categories


Criteria

The tobacco category includes taxation (30%), advertising (10%), smoking ban (30%), packaging restrictions (10%), retail display ban (5%), oral tobacco (‘snus’) prohibition (5%) and vending machine bans (5%).

Cigarette tax. Calculated in a similar way to alcohol taxation (see above). Tax rates are taken from the European Commission or domestic government and adjusted for purchasing power. The highest taxing country scores 30. Other countries are scored as a percentage of the highest tax.

Heated tobacco tax. As above, but for a kilogram of heated tobacco. A maximum of 5 points is available.

Advertising. Scored out of 10. A total ban scores 10 points, a total ban except at point of sale scores 9 points. If other advertising is permitted, a lower score is awarded, but all TPD-compliant countries score at least 6 points.

Smoking ban. Divided into five subcategories, each scoring up to 10 points. These are: bar, restaurant, workplace, cars and outdoors. Points are awarded according to the size and scope of the ban with the final score out of 50 adjusted to make it a score out of 30.

Packaging. Regulation of tobacco packaging in excess of TPD provisions can earn additional points. Countries with a full ban on branding (‘plain’ or ‘standardised’ packaging) get 10 points.

Display ban. Countries which prohibit retailers from displaying tobacco products behind their counter are awarded up to 5 points.

Vending machine ban. Prohibition of cigarette vending machines earns 5 points.

Snus. Prohibition of this form of oral tobacco earns 5 points. The EU bans snus in every member state except Sweden.


Tobacco

least free less free freer freest
   Country Tax (30) Advert- ising (10) Packa- ging (10) Display ban (5) Smoking ban (30) Vending Machine (5) Snus (5) Heated Tabacco (5) Grand TOTAL (100) Weigh- ted Total (one sixth)
1 UK 15.9 10 10 5 20.4 5 5 3 74.3 12.4
2 Romania 30 9 0 0 19.2 5 5 4 72.2 12
3 Hungary 18.9 9 10 0 19.2 5 5 4 71.1 11.9
4 Ireland 16.2 10 10 5 19.8 0 5 2 68 11.3
5 Bulgaria 21.9 9 0 0 18.6 5 5 5 64.5 10.8
6 Greece 17.1 9 0 4 19.8 5 5 4 63.9 10.7
7 France 13.5 10 10 0 18.6 5 5 1 63.1 10.5
8 Latvia 14.4 10 0 5 19.2 5 5 4 62.6 10.4
9 Slovenia 8.4 10 10 5 14.4 5 5 2 59.8 10
10 Norway 7.2 10 10 5 17.4 5 0 5 56.6 9.9
11 Netherlands 9.9 9 10 5 16.8 0 5 2 57.7 9.6
12 Croatia 15.6 10 0 5 12.5 5 5 3 56.2 9.4
13 Lithuania 15 10 0 0 17.4 5 5 3 55.4 9.2
14 Finland 11.4 10 0 5 15.6 5 5 2 54 9
15 Estonia 12.9 10 0 5 13.8 5 5 2 53.7 9
16 Poland 15 9 0 0 14.4 5 5 3 51.4 8.6
17 Malta 11.4 10 0 0 19.8 0 5 5 51.2 8.6
18 Belgium 8.1 10 10 0 15.6 0 5 1 49.7 8.3
19 Cyprus 8.1 9 0 0 19.8 5 5 2 48.9 8.1
20 Iceland 4.5 10 0 4 18 5 5 2 48.5 8.1
21 Slovakia 16.8 9 0 0 9 5 5 3 47.8 8
22 Czechia 12 9 0 0 18 0 5 2 46 7.7
23 Spain 9.6 10 0 0 19.8 0 5 1 45.4 7.6
24 Italy 9 9 0 0 16.8 0 5 2 41.8 7
25 Denmark 7.8 9 0 5 9.6 4 5 1 41.4 6.9
26 Portugal 13.8 9 0 0 10.2 0 5 3 41 6.8
27 Austria 6 9 0 0 19.8 0 5 1 40.8 6.8
28 Sweden 6.3 10 0 0 16.8 0 0 2 35.1 5.9
29 Luxembourg 3.6 9 0 0 13.2 0 5 1 31.8 5.3
30 Germany 7.2 6 0 0 9 0 5 1 28.2 4.7
 
 

Smoking Bans

least free less free freer freest
 
Country Bar (10) Restaurant (10) Workplace (10) Vehicles (10) Outdoors (10) Total (50) Final Score (30)
UK 10 10 10 3 1 34 20.4
Cyprus 10 10 10 2 0 33 19.8
Greece 10 10 10 1 2 33 19.8
Ireland 10 10 10 3 0 33 19.8
Malta 10 10 10 3 0 33 19.8
Spain 10 10 10 0 3 33 19.8
Austria 10 10 10 0 3 33 19.8
Hungary 10 10 10 0 2 32 19.2
Latvia 10 10 8 0 4 32 19.2
Romania 10 10 10 0 2 32 19.2
Bulgaria 9 10 10 0 2 31 18.6
France 8 8 8 3 4 31 18.6
Czechia 10 10 10 0 0 30 18
Iceland 10 10 10 0 0 30 18
Lithuania 8 8 5 2 6 29 17.4
Norway 9 10 10 0 0 29 17.4
Italy 8 8 8 3 1 28 16.8
Netherlands 10 10 8 0 0 28 16.8
Sweden 7 7 7 0 7 28 16.8
Belgium 7 7 7 3 2 26 15.6
Finland 7 7 7 2 3 26 15.6
Poland 8 8 8 0 0 24 14.4
Slovenia 7 7 7 3 0 24 14.4
Estonia 7 7 7 2 0 23 13.8
Luxembourg 6 7 7 1 1 22 13.2
Croatia 5 10 5 0 1 21 12.6
Portugal 5 5 5 0 2 17 10.2
Denmark 5 5 5 0 1 16 9.6
Germany 5 5 5 0 0 15 9
Slovakia 5 5 5 0 0 15 9

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