Four Types of Killjoy: #5 Conclusion

So, what have we learned?

In this series of posts, the IEA’s Christopher Snowdon explains the background and beliefs of the anti-smoking, anti-alcohol, anti-obesity and anti-gambling movements in the UK.

This is the conclusion, available early to paid Insider subscribers.

Read part 4 on anti-gambling here, part 3 on anti-obesity here, part 2 on anti-alcohol here, and part 1 on anti-smoking here.

There are some striking similarities between the interest groups in this series: anti-tobacco, anti-alcohol, anti-obesity and anti-gambling. They have all built formal coalitions, three of which use the term ‘Health Alliance’ in their name. They all have All-Party Parliamentary Groups pushing their message to MPs and the media. They all focus on supply-side measures to reduce the consumption of products which, to a greater or lesser extent, involve risk. They all view the industries which produce the goods and services they object to as their main opposition and downplay the role of individuals in making decisions for themselves. Several policy options, such as advertising bans, feature in the prospectus of all four.