Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Turkey
United Kingdom
Luxembourg has always been one of the more liberal places in the Nanny State Index. It is one of the magnificent seven countries that scores a perfect zero for food and soft drink regulation. Adjusted for income, it has the lowest taxes on alcohol and cigarettes of any country in the index. Even in cash terms, it has the lowest rate of beer duty. It has no wine duty at all. The government intends to legalise cannabis in the next few years.
There is no retail display ban for tobacco, no plain packaging, no sugar tax and no vape tax. Restrictions on alcohol advertising are relatively trivial.
So what’s not to like? Luxembourg’s biggest weak spot is its excessive regulation of e-cigarettes. Luxembourg’s former health minister, Lydia Mutsch, took a dim view of vaping, believing it to be a gateway to smoking. E-cigarette advertising is banned everywhere except at point of sale and cross-border sales are illegal. As part of the process of implementing the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive, the Luxembourg government decided to apply the same rules to vaping indoors and e-cigarette advertising as it applies to tobacco (i.e. a partial ban and a near-total ban, respectively). E-cigarette companies must pay a fee of €5,000 to put a new product on the market.
Surprisingly, Luxembourg has a national closing time of 1 am for drinking establishments, although owners can apply to open until 3 am. Luxembourg’s partial smoking ban means that smoking is permitted in designated rooms and in licensed cigar bars.
In August 2017, a ban was introduced on smoking in vehicles if a child under 12 years is a passenger, and smoking was banned in and around children’s playgrounds.
With thanks to Bill Wirtz at CCC
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
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Previous version: 2019
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About the Editor
Christopher Snowdon is the head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs. His research focuses on lifestyle freedoms, prohibition and policy-based evidence. He is a regular contributor to the Spectator, Telegraph and Spiked and often appears on TV and radio discussing social and economic issues.
Snowdon’s work encompasses a diverse range of topics including ‘sin taxes’, state funding of charities, happiness economics, ‘public health’ regulation, gambling and the black market. Recent publications include ‘Drinking, Fast and Slow’, ‘The Proof of the Pudding: Denmark’s Fat Tax Fiasco’, ‘A Safer Bet’, and ‘You Had One Job’. He is also the author of ‘Killjoys’ (2017), ‘Selfishness, Greed and Capitalism’ (2015), ‘The Art of Suppression’ (2011), ‘The Spirit Level Delusion’ (2010), ‘Velvet Glove, Iron Fist’ (2009).
Luxembourg 2021
Luxembourg has always been one of the more liberal places in the Nanny State Index. It is one of the magnificent seven countries that scores a perfect zero for food and soft drink regulation. Adjusted for income, it has the lowest taxes on alcohol and cigarettes of any country in the index. Even in cash terms, it has the lowest rate of beer duty. It has no wine duty at all. The government intends to legalise cannabis in the next few years.
There is no retail display ban for tobacco, no plain packaging, no sugar tax and no vape tax. Restrictions on alcohol advertising are relatively trivial.
So what’s not to like? Luxembourg’s biggest weak spot is its excessive regulation of e-cigarettes. Luxembourg’s former health minister, Lydia Mutsch, took a dim view of vaping, believing it to be a gateway to smoking. E-cigarette advertising is banned everywhere except at point of sale and cross-border sales are illegal. As part of the process of implementing the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive, the Luxembourg government decided to apply the same rules to vaping indoors and e-cigarette advertising as it applies to tobacco (i.e. a partial ban and a near-total ban, respectively). E-cigarette companies must pay a fee of €5,000 to put a new product on the market.
Surprisingly, Luxembourg has a national closing time of 1 am for drinking establishments, although owners can apply to open until 3 am. Luxembourg’s partial smoking ban means that smoking is permitted in designated rooms and in licensed cigar bars.
In August 2017, a ban was introduced on smoking in vehicles if a child under 12 years is a passenger, and smoking was banned in and around children’s playgrounds.
With thanks to Bill Wirtz at CCC
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