Banning the display of cigarettes will not stop people smoking but will instead simply harm businesses, said Mark Littlewood, Director … Continue reading “Smoking announcement a victory for ‘enemies of enterprise’”

The effects of problem-drinking are not going to be solved by introducing minimum alcohol pricing but by treating people like … Continue reading “Free healthcare, not lack of minimum pricing, exacerbating problem drinking”

Responding to calls for the introduction of legislation mandating plain packaging for cigarettes, IEA Director General Mark Littlewood said: “There … Continue reading “Plain packaging for tobacco would cause harm not good”

The ‘nanny state’ has expanded in recent years. Politicians and bureaucrats have increasingly sought to restrict what individuals are permitted … Continue reading “John Meadowcroft – Prohibitions”

It is not always necessary to contradict politicians; it is often better to wait until they contradict themselves. A case in … Continue reading “Public health and the strange double life of advertising”

Sir Liam Donaldson’s proposal for a minimum price per unit of alcohol is a novel addition to the long list … Continue reading “Thinking about drinking”

Last week the government chose to ignore its own advisors and decided not to downgrade ecstasy to a “class B” … Continue reading “The drug laws don’t work, they just make things worse”

One of the justifications for government intervention in the market is the presence of ‘external effects’ or ‘externalities’ which occur … Continue reading “Change4Life, sales bans and “sin taxes”: when the arsonist screams “fire!””

The last century has seen a steady expansion of the ‘nanny state’, a process that has arguably accelerated in the … Continue reading “The case for lifting prohibitions”