Family Protection Action Plan, which bears all the hallmarks of an authoritarian staple, is dehumanizing, pits demographic groups against each other and distorts the markets. It also creates a distraction for the citizens and puts the opposition in a corner where their only option is a bidding war.
The Nanny State Index 2019 measures the level of restrictive regulations governing the sale and consumption of food, non-alcoholic beverages, alcohol, tobacco, and e-cigarettes. The higher a country’s ranking, the more restrictive the regulations.
Be it alcohol, tobacco, or sugary drinks; individuals have a number of vices that they voluntarily engage in. It has been commonly accepted that we attempt to engage in these “vices” with moderation. However, over the past years, public health advocates have made it their mission to regulate people’s lifestyle.
People can be nudged in a certain direction without the government introducing public policies or implementing high taxes. As any changes in default options, framing or social influences may have a great impact on the choices people make, public policy creators use insights from psychology to create nudges.
On June 20, 2017, the Lithuanian Free Market Institute organizes an international conference titled “Paternalist Policies and Food Regulation: Objectives and Consequences”, aimed at initiating a series of public debates on the growing trends of state paternalism.
