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Since 2016, the Netherlands has jumped from the bottom end of the Nanny State Index, and this year, it is in the top half for the first time. Unfortunately, it looks set to rise further. Its reputation as one of the world’s most liberal countries has been trashed.
In 2017, the Christian Union, a socially conservative political party, found itself in government after coming eighth in the general election. Although it only won five of the 150 seats in parliament, it joined the governing coalition on the condition that one of its members, Paul Blokhuis, be made state secretary for health. Blokhuis then introduced his ‘National Prevention Agreement’ with a raft of nanny state measures, including a plain packaging mandate and a display ban on tobacco, both of which came into force in 2020. Blokhuis has since left office but his legacy lives on.
A tobacco (and e-cigarette) display ban was introduced in supermarkets in July 2020 and extended to all shops in January 2021 (specialist tobacconists are exempt). Supermarkets will be banned from selling cigarettes altogether in 2024. Cigarette and e-cigarette vending machines were banned in bars and restaurants in January 2022. Online sales of tobacco and vape products are currently legal, but there are plans to ban them.
The Netherlands had already moved towards plain packaging in 2017 with an unusual law banning ‘holograms, sparkles, shiny and glamorous colours, embossing, or expressions referring to a specific theme’ on cigarette packs. This morphed into a full plain packaging mandate in October 2020 and was extended to cigars and e-cigarettes in January 2022.
Alcohol advertising can only be broadcast after 9 PM. Since July 2021, shops have been prohibited from discounting alcoholic drinks by more than 25 per cent and offering volume price discounts. The Amsterdam City Council has discussed closing bars at 2 AM with the last customers permitted to enter no later than 1 AM.
A ban on e-cigarette advertising was overturned in 2012 but reintroduced in 2020. There is no vape tax, but all e-cigarette flavours apart from tobacco will be banned in October 2023. The government is also in the process of banning nicotine pouches.
A ban on smoking was introduced in 2008, but it was overturned for small bars in 2010 before being reintroduced in 2014. This left smoking banned in the vast majority of indoor venues, although there was an exemption for marijuana. Vaping was added to the ban in July 2020 ‘to set a good example for young people’ according to Blokhuis, who also wanted to ban smoking on terraces. Smoking rooms in all workplaces, including the hospitality sector, were banned in July 2021.
It is all very depressing. The only ray of light is that beer taxes are still relatively low and the government has so far resisted nanny state regulation of food and soft drinks. Although a sugar tax has been seriously discussed, nothing has yet come of it.
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 versions: 2021, 2019, 2017
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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).
Netherlands 2023
Since 2016, the Netherlands has jumped from the bottom end of the Nanny State Index, and this year, it is in the top half for the first time. Unfortunately, it looks set to rise further. Its reputation as one of the world’s most liberal countries has been trashed.
In 2017, the Christian Union, a socially conservative political party, found itself in government after coming eighth in the general election. Although it only won five of the 150 seats in parliament, it joined the governing coalition on the condition that one of its members, Paul Blokhuis, be made state secretary for health. Blokhuis then introduced his ‘National Prevention Agreement’ with a raft of nanny state measures, including a plain packaging mandate and a display ban on tobacco, both of which came into force in 2020. Blokhuis has since left office but his legacy lives on.
A tobacco (and e-cigarette) display ban was introduced in supermarkets in July 2020 and extended to all shops in January 2021 (specialist tobacconists are exempt). Supermarkets will be banned from selling cigarettes altogether in 2024. Cigarette and e-cigarette vending machines were banned in bars and restaurants in January 2022. Online sales of tobacco and vape products are currently legal, but there are plans to ban them.
The Netherlands had already moved towards plain packaging in 2017 with an unusual law banning ‘holograms, sparkles, shiny and glamorous colours, embossing, or expressions referring to a specific theme’ on cigarette packs. This morphed into a full plain packaging mandate in October 2020 and was extended to cigars and e-cigarettes in January 2022.
Alcohol advertising can only be broadcast after 9 PM. Since July 2021, shops have been prohibited from discounting alcoholic drinks by more than 25 per cent and offering volume price discounts. The Amsterdam City Council has discussed closing bars at 2 AM with the last customers permitted to enter no later than 1 AM.
A ban on e-cigarette advertising was overturned in 2012 but reintroduced in 2020. There is no vape tax, but all e-cigarette flavours apart from tobacco will be banned in October 2023. The government is also in the process of banning nicotine pouches.
A ban on smoking was introduced in 2008, but it was overturned for small bars in 2010 before being reintroduced in 2014. This left smoking banned in the vast majority of indoor venues, although there was an exemption for marijuana. Vaping was added to the ban in July 2020 ‘to set a good example for young people’ according to Blokhuis, who also wanted to ban smoking on terraces. Smoking rooms in all workplaces, including the hospitality sector, were banned in July 2021.
It is all very depressing. The only ray of light is that beer taxes are still relatively low and the government has so far resisted nanny state regulation of food and soft drinks. Although a sugar tax has been seriously discussed, nothing has yet come of it.
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