Our nanny state has been doing everything in its power to crack down on all things potentially harmful, even if enjoyable, to save Britons from themselves. The Tories kicked it off with the generational smoking ban, then moved on to banning disposable vapes, and Labour has gone further with reports of banning smoking outdoors and in pub gardens. Now it looks like nicotine pouches could be next…
Guido hears whispers that ministers are in talks with the Department of Health and Social Care to ban nicotine pouches like the brands Nordic Spirit and Zyn. These products not only help smokers wean off cigarettes and vapes but also represent an industry estimated to be worth around $268.4 million in the UK. Guido contacted the DHSC for a comment, to which a spokesman said:
“The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will be the biggest public health intervention in a generation, improving healthy life expectancy and reducing the number of lives lost to the biggest killers. Alongside introducing a progressive smoking ban to ensure the next generation can never legally be sold tobacco, the Bill will also stop vapes and other consumer nicotine products, including pouches, from being deliberately branded and advertised to appeal to children. Together these measures will help stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.”
A non-denial…
Speaking on Times Radio, former Home Secretary David Blunkett spoke about overdiagnosis of mental problems:
“Let’s distinguish those who are really severely mentally ill, diagnosed with things that require prolonged medical and diagnostic treatment. My wife and I talk about this a lot, because she’s a retired GP, about the fact that you can be sad without being ill. You can be momentarily depressed because your boyfriend or girlfriend’s just thrown you and you’re not mentally ill. You can even have mild issues, which can be dealt with with the right kind of support, but it doesn’t make you mentally ill. So we’ve got a real task, I think, to get the psychology, if you like, of this over. But there are things where you definitely need medical intervention, and there are other things where you need good friends, you need good connectivity, and you need a job.”