IEA Featured Lifestyle Economics

Government plans to ban the sale of energy drinks to under-16s has been branded "unnecessary and draconian" by the IEA's Head of Lifestyle Economics. Christopher Snowdon is quoted in the Mail Online, arguing the ban makes little sense and is yet another example of a government which "bans firt and asks questions later". Chris asks ... Continue reading

Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, spoke to TRIGGERnometry about the nanny state. Chris joins hosts Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster to discuss a wide range of nanny state issues including what society could look like if some or most currently illegal drugs were legalised, and the history of ... Continue reading

IEA research in quoted in the Telegraph Online, arguing against the proliferation of sin taxes and praising Boris Johnson's comments calling for a pause and a review of sugar taxes. The piece quotes figures from an IEA report published in 2017, which calculated obesity creates a the net cost to the taxpayer of £2.5billion. The ... Continue reading

Boris Johnson is right to consider a review of sin taxes, writes Christopher Snowdon in the Daily Telegraph. Chris, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, notes that Johnson's suggestion such taxes "clobber those who can least afford it" are correct, sin taxes are highly regressive and sugar taxes specifically have never ... Continue reading

A new Cancer Research campaign - designed to make people aware of the link between obesity and cancer - has been criticised as being hypocritical. Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said Cancer Research's decision to bring back the ‘distinctive logos’ of tobacco companies, having been a leading campaigner ... Continue reading

63% of Londoners support cannabis legalisation, according to a new poll from the Evening Standard. As part of an ongoing debate on cannabis, the Evening Standard looks at public attitudes to legalisation and references research from the Institute of Economic Affairs' Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon which estimates the overall cannabis market is work ... Continue reading

While historical analyses of Theresa May's premiership will doubtless be dominated by Brexit there are a number of side-issues which deserve consideration, including the expansion of the state and increasing prohibition of lifestyle choices, writes Mark Littlewood, the IEA's Director-General. Mark, writing his fortnightly column for The Times newspaper, notes that while examples of state ... Continue reading

Officials are planning to extend the sugar tax to include milkshakes in another bid to tackle childhood obesity, according to The Sun. The move comes less than a year after Jamie Oliver called on Theresa May to act, suggesting a tax of 12p per half litre bottle. Chris Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the ... Continue reading

Alcohol will be required to carry warnings about the dangers of boozing according to plans set out by the Labour Party. Chris Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, is quoted in The Sun arguing against the move, saying “most adults don’t need scary stickers on the side of a pint ... Continue reading