An evidence-based tobacco products directive

Work is underway at the European Union to develop a third Tobacco Products Directive. This briefing outlines a number of simple measures that could …

The East German Healthcare Phenomenon

The reunification of West Germany and East Germany took place 30 years ago, ending a period of around 45 years during which Germany had …

Health or the economy? A dangerous dichotomy

During the first of two briefings on Covid-19 in his state, New York governor Andrew Cuomo stated: “If it is public health or the …

COVID-19: WHO to blame?

 
Much of the WHO rhetoric on COVID-19 has treated the pandemic as an unavoidable, natural disaster devoid of blame – this is …

Responses to COVID-19 of governments in selected countries

The COVID-19 pandemic is a serious challenge for societies around the world. In response to it not only individuals are changing their behaviour, but …

Health by stealth: Mandatory food reformulation

Food and soft drinks manufacturers are continually reformulating their products and bringing new products to market in response to consumer demand. In recent years, …

The Nanny State crusade marches on

Today sees the publication of the 2017 edition of the Nanny State Index, a league table of the best and worst places in the …

Nanny State Index Summary

The EPICENTER Nanny State Index is the only comprehensive league table of lifestyle regulations. The latest data suggest that the EU is becoming a …

Nanny State Index

The EPICENTER Nanny State Index is the only comprehensive league table of lifestyle regulations. The latest data suggest that the EU is becoming a …

Nanny State Index Conference 2017

10th May 2017
The Nanny State Index (NSI) is a league table of the worst places in the European Union to eat, drink, smoke and …

Cheap as Chips: Is a healthy diet affordable?

It is widely believed that healthy eating is relatively expensive whereas ‘junk food’ is relatively cheap. This has led to an assumption that poor diets …

Obesity and the Public Purse

This is the first study to estimate the annual savings that overweight and obese people bring UK taxpayers by dying prematurely (in 2016 prices). …

Innovation in harm reduction

18 October, 2016
Permissionless Innovation
 
Scientific research has made important breakthroughs in harm reduction in recent years. In the field of alcohol consumption, …

Innovation in Food Labelling

18 October, 2016
 
Geographical Indications
 
According the European Commission, a Geographical Indication (GI) is “a distinctive sign used to identify a product …

Innov8 — the hottest conference in Brussels about innovation

Innov8, our conference about innovation in various fields from science & tech to agriculture, took place in Brussels this week and provided a stimulating platform …

Europe’s demographic timebomb

Philip Booth // 16.09.2016
This article is based on a presentation Prof Booth gave at the Autumn University of the Alliance of European Conservatives …

Tobacco harm reduction and the new TPD

25 May 2016
The new Tobacco Products Directive (TPD2) dramatically tightens regulation of cigarettes, rolling tobacco and e-cigarettes. Yet, it is unclear that it …

An early Christmas present for Scottish drinkers: ECJ rules against minimum alcohol pricing

Christopher Snowdon // 23.12.2015
The European Court of Justice has today ruled that minimum pricing for alcohol is illegal if less restrictive measures, such …

Social mobility in the UK

 
Christopher Snowdon, October 2015
 
In October 2015, David Cameron said: “Britain has the lowest social mobility in the developed world.” No such …

Taxing e‐cigs would be a mistake in the fight against smoking

 
Frédéric Sautet, September 2015
 
Following a series of volume decreases in sales of traditional cigarettes in France, sales appear to be stabilizing …

E-cigarettes and Article 20 of the Tobacco Products Directive

15 September 2015
 
From 2016, e-cigarettes will face additional regulation under Article 20 of the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). Given that non-smokers …

Smoking or vaping: the revolution in tobacco and nicotine consumption

 
Frédéric Sautet, March 2015
 
Long denigrated and accused of every imaginable evil, the tobacco market is undergoing a renaissance with innovations that …

The European Union and lifestyle freedoms

Christopher Snowdon, October 2014
 
Dealing with public health challenges requires some degree of government action to protect the population from contagious diseases and …

Nutrition taxes: a broken tool in public health policy

 
Frédéric Sautet, Institut Economique Molinari, October 2014
 
It is vital to understand that the impact of nutrition taxes on the consumption of …

Nutrition taxes: a broken tool in public health policy

Frédéric Sautet, September 2014
Excess weight and obesity have been on the rise for more than 40 years in many countries around the world. …

Punishing the Majority: Problems with Alcohol Policy in UK

 
John C. Duffy and Christopher Snowdon, June 2014
 
Alcohol policy in Britain and many other countries aims to reduce per capita alcohol …

LFMI comments on European Commissions suggestions for the Tobacco Directive

 
Lithuanian Free Market Institute, March 2014
 
LFMI made a thorough analysis of European Commission’s proposal for the Tobacco directive (2001/37/EC), related public …

Sin taxes: the examples of alcohol and tobacco  

 
Valentin Petkantchin, March 2014
 
So‐called “sin” taxes are very much in fashion in France and elsewhere. With the aim of reducing “sinful” …

The proof of the pudding: Denmark’s fat tax fiasco

 
Christopher Snowdon, IEA, May 2013
 
Denmark’s fat tax remains the leading example of an ambitious anti-obesity policy being tested in the real …

Work longer, live healthier: The relationship between economic activity, health, and government policy

 
Gabriel H. Sahlgren, IEA , May 2013
 
Higher state pension ages are not only possible (given longer life expectancy) and desirable (given …

On our way to 9 billion: can Europe afford to lose out on the potential of GMOs?

 
Ivar Virgin, Timbro, April 2013
 
By 2050 the world will need to produce almost twice as much food and feed in the …

A world waiting for antibiotics: six reasons why antibiotics resistance plagues the world

 
Waldemar Ingdahl, Timbro, June 2012
 
Every year, between 180 and 260 people in Sweden die as a result of antibiotic resistance. Responsibility …

Alcohol: a successful Swedish liberalisation

 
Mattias Svensson, Timbro, May 2012
 
For the past 20 years, Sweden has had considerably freer alcohol rules, not least thanks to EU …