The United Kingdom has been a happy hunting ground for nanny state campaigners for well over a decade. It has high sin taxes on sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco, and has introduced nearly every anti-smoking policy you can think of.

The UK’s smoking bans, introduced in 2007 (2006 in Scotland), allow fewer exemptions than those of almost any other country and was extended to cars carrying passengers under the age of 18 in 2015 (2016 in Scotland). In 2008, Britain became the first EU country to mandate graphic warnings on cigarettes. In 2011, cigarette vending machines were banned. A full retail display ban followed in 2015. In May 2016, the UK and France became the first European countries to ban branding on tobacco products (‘plain packaging’). The UK has the second highest rate of tobacco duty after Ireland, although it falls to third once adjusted for income, and it has the highest rate of tax on heated tobacco at £344 per kilogram (€411). Overall, it has the worst score for tobacco in the index.

The British government is in the process of going further and faster than any other country in trying to control what people eat. A UK-wide tax on sugary drinks came into effect in May 2018 at a rate of 24p for drinks with more than 8 grams of sugar per 100ml and 18p for those with between 5 and 8 grams per 100ml. Food deemed to be high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) cannot be advertised during programmes that are mostly watched by the under-16s. This ban was extended to digital media in December 2016. A ban on displaying ‘less healthy’ food at the entrance, checkout and at the end of aisles of shops was introduced in 2023 and calorie counts have to be shown on menus in pubs, cafés and restaurants owned by large companies.

Scotland is even worse than England. In 2018, the Scottish government introduced minimum pricing for alcohol at 50p per unit in May 2018, with Wales following suit in March 2020. Off trade alcohol discount deals are also banned in Scotland. The Scottish government has proposed banning advertisements for alcohol and e-cigarettes, including a display ban for alcohol. In July 2022, Scotland’s train company ScotRail announced that the ban on drinking on trains - introduced during the pandemic - would continue for the ‘foreseeable future’.

Things are set to get worse still. A ban on advertising ‘less healthy’ food on TV programmes before 9pm and on the internet at any time is due to begin in October 2025. A ban on volume price discounts for ‘less healthy’ food (such a ‘buy 2, get 1 free’) has been repeatedly postponed, but is expected to come into force under the new Labour government. The UK has always taken a common sense approach to e-cigarettes, but that will change with a ban on disposable vapes in June 2025 and a vape tax of £2.20 (€2.65) per 10ml bottle starting in October 2026. A clampdown on e-cigarette advertising is also likely.

Vaping is banned on train platforms, in stations and on public transport, but is otherwise left to the venue owner’s discretion. In 2024, a rumour that the government wanted to ban smoking outdoors created such a backlash from the public that the Labour government made a public assurance that it was not on its agenda.

By the time the next edition of the Nanny State Index is published, the UK will be on the road to the full prohibition of tobacco. The Tobacco & Vapes Bill will ban anyone born after 2009 from ever legally buying any tobacco product.