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United Kingdom
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 it 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 were 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 £270 per kilogram (€308). 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 per litre for drinks with more than 8 g of sugar per 100 ml and 18p for those with between 5–8 g per 100 ml. Food deemed to be high in fat, sugar, or salt (HFSS) cannot be advertised during programmes that are mostly watched by under-16s. This ban was extended to digital media in December 2016, and the government has legislated for it to be extended to all TV programmes shown before 9 PM as well as to the internet. A ban on volume price discounts for ‘less healthy’ food (such as ‘buy 2, get 1 free’) was postponed when inflation hit double digits in 2022, but is expected to come into force in 2024. A ban on displaying ‘less healthy’ food at the entrance and checkout of shops – and at the end of aisles – has already been introduced, as has mandatory calorie counts on menus in pubs, cafés, and restaurants.
Scotland is even worse than England. In 2018, the Scottish government introduced minimum pricing for alcohol at 50p per unit, with Wales following suit in March 2020. Off-trade alcohol discount deals are also banned in Scotland. In the last year, 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’.
How, then, is the UK not higher than 11th in the league table? Although alcohol duty is well above the European average, the government froze it for several years, thereby allowing it to fall a little in real terms. The UK also takes a common-sense approach to e-cigarettes. There is no vape tax and there has been no gold-plating of the EU’s e-cigarette regulations. Vaping is banned on train platforms, in stations, and on public transport, but it is otherwise left to the venue owner’s discretion. A proposal by the Welsh government to ban vaping in ‘public’ places fell apart in 2017, and no such law has been seriously proposed in England, Scotland, or Northern Ireland.
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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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).
United Kingdom 2023
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 it 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 were 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 £270 per kilogram (€308). 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 per litre for drinks with more than 8 g of sugar per 100 ml and 18p for those with between 5–8 g per 100 ml. Food deemed to be high in fat, sugar, or salt (HFSS) cannot be advertised during programmes that are mostly watched by under-16s. This ban was extended to digital media in December 2016, and the government has legislated for it to be extended to all TV programmes shown before 9 PM as well as to the internet. A ban on volume price discounts for ‘less healthy’ food (such as ‘buy 2, get 1 free’) was postponed when inflation hit double digits in 2022, but is expected to come into force in 2024. A ban on displaying ‘less healthy’ food at the entrance and checkout of shops – and at the end of aisles – has already been introduced, as has mandatory calorie counts on menus in pubs, cafés, and restaurants.
Scotland is even worse than England. In 2018, the Scottish government introduced minimum pricing for alcohol at 50p per unit, with Wales following suit in March 2020. Off-trade alcohol discount deals are also banned in Scotland. In the last year, 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’.
How, then, is the UK not higher than 11th in the league table? Although alcohol duty is well above the European average, the government froze it for several years, thereby allowing it to fall a little in real terms. The UK also takes a common-sense approach to e-cigarettes. There is no vape tax and there has been no gold-plating of the EU’s e-cigarette regulations. Vaping is banned on train platforms, in stations, and on public transport, but it is otherwise left to the venue owner’s discretion. A proposal by the Welsh government to ban vaping in ‘public’ places fell apart in 2017, and no such law has been seriously proposed in England, Scotland, or Northern Ireland.
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