The Nanny State and the Pandemic – with Christopher Snowdon
Governments and organisations across the world have sought to identify a link between coronavirus mortality and lifestyle factors. Alcohol, smoking, vaping, and obesity have all come under the spotlight.
In the UK, the focus seems to be on obesity, with the government due to set out its obesity strategy any day now. Boris Johnson reported said obesity is “hugely costly” to the NHS and vowed to improve the nation’s health but he has also committed to no new sin taxes. So how will the Prime Minister, a self-proclaimed ‘libertarian’ on such issues, begin to tackle it?
Emma Revell, IEA Head of Communications, is joined by Christopher Snowdon, IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics and author of numerous publications on sin taxes, smoking bans, and anti-obesity campaigns, to discuss whether the pandemic has us reached for the nanny state.
In the UK, the focus seems to be on obesity, with the government due to set out its obesity strategy any day now. Boris Johnson reported said obesity is “hugely costly” to the NHS and vowed to improve the nation’s health but he has also committed to no new sin taxes. So how will the Prime Minister, a self-proclaimed ‘libertarian’ on such issues, begin to tackle it?
Emma Revell, IEA Head of Communications, is joined by Christopher Snowdon, IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics and author of numerous publications on sin taxes, smoking bans, and anti-obesity campaigns, to discuss whether the pandemic has us reached for the nanny state.