This week, Ireland became the fourth country to introduce mandatory plain packaging for tobacco. After Australia, France and the United Kingdom, Ireland attempts to be on the forefront of what seems to be the future of EU anti-tobacco policy.
Georgia’s new plain packaging rules: how we bully countries into bad laws
The Republic of Georgia parachuted into law a plan mandating plain packaging for all tobacco products. As of now, only Australia, the United Kingdom and France make it compulsory for cigarettes to be sold in neutral packs without colors or branding. Now, the Caucasus region will follow suit.
Ο ναργιλές κερδίζει τον πόλεμο εναντίον του καπνού
Καθώς οι κυβερνήσεις σε ολόκληρο τον κόσμο προχωρούν στην καταστολή της κατανάλωσης καπνού, η ανάλυση των συνεπειών αυτών των πολιτικών που αφορούν τη συμπεριφορά των ανθρώπων αποκτά καίρια σημασία. Ένα από τα κύρια μέτρα που υποστηρίζουν οι αντικαπνιστές είναι η απαγόρευση του καπνίσματος μέσα στα μπαρ. Αυτού του είδους όμως οι κανόνες δεν έσπρωξαν απλώς […]
Plain packaging is doing nothing to reduce tobacco consumption
With the introduction of the first plain packaging legislation for tobacco worldwide in 2012, Australia inspired European countries to follow its example. Both the UK and France now impose similar legislation on tobacco companies, with widespread unintended consequences. It turns out that the measure has no effect on consumption and, even worse, makes life easier […]
New York’s cigarette price hike will bring the downsides of a quasi-prohibition
The city of New York decided recently to increase the price of a pack of cigarettes to $13, making it one of the most expensive places in the world to buy tobacco. In fact, throughout the years, the East Coast city has been pursuing an aggressive Nanny State policy, ranging even further than just cracking […]
Hookah is Winning the War on Tobacco
As governments crackdown on the consumption of tobacco worldwide, an analysis of the consequences of these behavioral policies is of vital importance. One of the key measures of anti-smoking advocates is the ban on smoking inside bars. These rules have not only pushed cigarette smokers to the doorstep: it has driven many into hookah bars.
Mentioned by Popla about plain packaging of tobacco
In a piece titled “French connection: branding ban is career opportunity for Europe’s smugglers“, the free market blog Popla has mentioned me, on the topic of illicit tobacco trade in France.
This filmmaker found a genius way to get around the smoking ban in bars
This spring, the Czech Republic became the latest EU member state to institute a country-wide smoking ban in bars. Pubs, restaurants and night clubs now have to send their customers outside if they want to indulge in the pleasure of a cigarette. This ban came as a reaction to a European Union Directive, which gave […]
Health Nazis Were Actually A Thing
Many smokers these days poke fun at the crusaders of the anti-tobacco lobby as “health nazis.” The comparison is related to the extreme and authoritarian nature of national socialism. Tobacco control campaigners have tried, including through academic studies, to brand this Nazi-rhetoric as a fallacy.
Η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση συνεχίζει την εισβολή της στην αγορά καπνού
This article has been translated into Greek by the website Liberal.gr. It can be read here. The English original was published by the Foundation for Economic Education. Στις 10 Μαΐου, το Conseil D’Etat, το ανώτατο διοικητικό δικαστήριο στη Γαλλία, αποφάσισε να ζητήσει διευκρινίσεις από το Δικαστήριο της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης σχετικά με την πρόσφατη Οδηγία της […]
Bill Wirtz 