This article was first published on the Institute of Economic Affairs Substack. Official figures recently published by HMRC indicate a huge … Continue reading “The black market for tobacco is out of control”

Contents Foreword In 2016, the IEA and EPICENTER launched the first edition of Dr Christopher Snowdon’s ‘Nanny State Index’, which … Continue reading “Defanging the Nanny State”

There is currently a global debate about the efficacy of vaping in reducing smoking prevalence. While the debate is ongoing, … Continue reading “Vaping Works”

You would hope that politicians – current or prospective – would rank improving the lives of their fellow citizens as … Continue reading “Politicians wouldn’t ban motorcycle helmets, so why do they ban safer tobacco products?”

It’s easy to dismiss ‘nanny state’ regulation as a minor nuisance but the underlying paternalism of those who wish to … Continue reading “Why can’t nanny state campaigners at least admit that they’re anti-liberal paternalists?”

When the NHS was created in 1948, Aneurin Bevan believed that healthcare spending would fall as the population became healthier. … Continue reading “Healthy lives cost money”

Sin and consumption taxes, including taxes on tobacco and alcohol, cost low income people more than 37% of their income … Continue reading “Sin Taxes”

This morning I was on the radio discussing electronic cigarettes in response to a headteacher banning their use at Blatchington … Continue reading “E-cigarettes and the gateway hypothesis”

The Australian government recently decided to homogenise tobacco products by forcing them into uniform packaging. A key question is whether … Continue reading “The plain packaging of tobacco products sets a dangerous precedent”