2023-10-04 07:00:00
If we tell you that Turkey is the champion of this ranking, followed by Norway and Lithuania, can you guess the theme? Not easy ! This is the indicator of the most “moralizing” States, established by the Epicenter think tank network, in partnership in France with the liberal Molinari institute, and published exclusively by Point.
For this fifth edition, the European Union and neighboring countries have been classified according to policies – regulations or taxation – which aim to discourage the consumption of tobacco, electronic cigarettes, alcohol, as well as food and sweet drinks. Among the most interventionist states, we therefore find Turkey, Norway and Lithuania on the podium, followed by Finland (4th) and Hungary (5th), while the least “moralizing” are Germany (30th). ), the Czech Republic (29th), Italy (28th), Spain and Luxembourg (26th).
France, “moderately moralizing”
What about France then? In 13th position, the country is one of the “moderately moralizing” countries. In the first editions, France was nevertheless one of the countries which hit hardest on these “vices”. “But, over time, it appears less and less moralistic, due to a relative stability of the regulatory framework and the rise of moralistic legislation among its neighbors,” writes Christopher Snowdon, author of the study and director of the Lifestyle Economics Division at the Institute of Economic Affairs (London).
In detail, France is in 5th place for tobacco, 10th for alcohol and 7th for sugary drinks and foods. France, on the other hand, is very tolerant of electronic cigarettes (23rd place).
Should public policies be “moralistic”? For the defenders of these regulations and taxes, yes, because these individual “vices” have a collective cost for society, particularly in health expenses. The promoters of this study believe, on the contrary, that governments tend to regulate too much. “The State is no longer content with ensuring peace in society: it also wants to decree how to be a good citizen,” believes Cécile Philippe, president of the Molinari Institute, and responsible for the French adaptation of the study. .
Favor substitutes
“‘Behavioral’ regulations and taxes, far from being neutral, create distortions and additional costs. Taxes on “vices” increase the cost of living, which particularly penalizes the poorest. Rules that are too drastic and prices that are too high fuel the black market and corruption. Bans encourage the growth of bureaucracy and consume administrative resources,” writes the author of the study.
Another argument put forward: there is no obvious correlation between the score obtained by the country in this indicator, that is to say its degree of interventionism, and life expectancy (see graph below).
Should the State, however, remain completely idle? Not necessarily. “Behavior that puts others at risk must of course be prohibited, and information is important, such as the recent government campaign aimed at binge drinking », underlines Cécile Philippe. But beyond that, “the best public policy is one that favors good substitutes, when the latter of course exist,” she continues.
According to the study, substitutes make it possible to avoid tax or regulatory circumvention practices, such as cross-border or “black” purchases. The study also expresses satisfaction in France, which is rather tolerant with regard to electronic cigarettes, a “judicious” choice which “deserves to be underlined and encouraged”.
The average surcharge on tobacco in France: 510% of the price excluding tax
10 countries have made the neutral package compulsory
2 countries ban electronic cigarettes
#Alcohol #tobacco #consumption #regulated