IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon has appeared on GB News to criticise calls to ban smoking and extend the sugar tax.

Christopher said:

“For the avoidance of doubt…orange juice is perfectly healthy, it has lots of Vitamin C and protein which is good for you – don’t drink it by the gallon, but don’t be put off drinking it which is what will happen if we put a new tax on it.

“The economics of this are really quite clear; if you ban cigarettes, if everyone stopped smoking, there would be more people living to a longer age and they’d ultimately use more healthcare…there is no [financial] benefit to non-smokers from smokers giving up smoking.

“Quite the contrary actually, given that if you banned cigarettes, you’d end up with a bit of a crime wave which is what happened when they banned alcohol in America and it’s increasingly what’s happening in Australia and to some extent New Zealand.”

Watch Christopher’s full appearance here (36:50)