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    • The Nanny state index

    The best and worst countries to eat, drink, smoke & vape in the EU

    Portugal remains in mid-table in this year’s Nanny State Index and we are pleased to report that there has been little illiberal activity since the last edition.

    Consumers were hit with a tax on soft drinks in 2017. Zero-sugar beverages are not taxed but there is a four tier system for sugary beverages ranging from €0.01 per litre for drinks with less than 25g of sugar to €0.21 per litre for drinks with more than 80g of sugar.

    A tax on e-cigarette fluid was reduced from €0.60 per millilitre in January 2017 and currently stands at €0.30 per millilitre, adding €3.00 to the price of a standard bottle. This is the highest rate in Europe with only Finland matching it. Cross-border sales are banned and vaping is banned wherever smoking is banned

    By EU standards, Portugal’s smoking ban is mild. Smoking in cafes, restaurants, bars and nightclubs of less than 100 square metres is generally banned, but the owner may choose to provide separate smoking areas of up to 30 per cent of floor space, or in a physically separated smoking room of up to 40 per cent of floor space. Smoking is also illegal in places where children congregate, including outdoor spaces such as playgrounds. Smokers who flout the law can be fined up to €750 and establishments which permit illegal smoking can be fined up to €250,000.

    Tobacco duty is set at a similar rate to that of other southern European countries but is the twelfth highest after adjusting for income. Tobacco can only be promoted at point of sale but there is no display ban and no vending machine ban.

    Alcohol can be sold in shops between 8.00 am and midnight and there are no national restrictions on opening hours in bars and restaurants, although there has been a tendency towards greater regulation in some municipalities. Taxes on beer and spirits are about average for an EU member state and there is no wine duty. Alcohol can only be advertised on TV and radio after 10.30 pm and sponsorship is heavily restricted.

    Legal limits on how much salt can be put into bread were introduced in January 2019. The limit is 1.2 grams of salt per 100 grams of bread. This was lowered to 1.2 grams of salt in 2019, 1.1 grams in 2020 and 1 gram in 2021.

    With thanks to Filipa Osório, Instituto +Liberdade

    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

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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).


    Portugal 2021

    Portugal remains in mid-table in this year’s Nanny State Index and we are pleased to report that there has been little illiberal activity since the last edition.

    Consumers were hit with a tax on soft drinks in 2017. Zero-sugar beverages are not taxed but there is a four tier system for sugary beverages ranging from €0.01 per litre for drinks with less than 25g of sugar to €0.21 per litre for drinks with more than 80g of sugar.

    A tax on e-cigarette fluid was reduced from €0.60 per millilitre in January 2017 and currently stands at €0.30 per millilitre, adding €3.00 to the price of a standard bottle. This is the highest rate in Europe with only Finland matching it. Cross-border sales are banned and vaping is banned wherever smoking is banned

    By EU standards, Portugal’s smoking ban is mild. Smoking in cafes, restaurants, bars and nightclubs of less than 100 square metres is generally banned, but the owner may choose to provide separate smoking areas of up to 30 per cent of floor space, or in a physically separated smoking room of up to 40 per cent of floor space. Smoking is also illegal in places where children congregate, including outdoor spaces such as playgrounds. Smokers who flout the law can be fined up to €750 and establishments which permit illegal smoking can be fined up to €250,000.

    Tobacco duty is set at a similar rate to that of other southern European countries but is the twelfth highest after adjusting for income. Tobacco can only be promoted at point of sale but there is no display ban and no vending machine ban.

    Alcohol can be sold in shops between 8.00 am and midnight and there are no national restrictions on opening hours in bars and restaurants, although there has been a tendency towards greater regulation in some municipalities. Taxes on beer and spirits are about average for an EU member state and there is no wine duty. Alcohol can only be advertised on TV and radio after 10.30 pm and sponsorship is heavily restricted.

    Legal limits on how much salt can be put into bread were introduced in January 2019. The limit is 1.2 grams of salt per 100 grams of bread. This was lowered to 1.2 grams of salt in 2019, 1.1 grams in 2020 and 1 gram in 2021.

    With thanks to Filipa Osório, Instituto +Liberdade

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