A non-controversial public health policy? The UK’s gradual ban on smoking has been a PR success. Really!

Bad news! Incredible! Whoever came up with this authoritarian nonsense especially in the UK!

Very clever move to avoid protests and resistance! And what about black markets etc.?

What is the heck is going on in the UK! Hopefully this truly awful law will be repealed ASAP!

Will a ban on alcohol be next?

"... Last week saw the passage of the tobacco and vapes bill, which has a very ambitious aim: to create a “smoke-free generation” and eventually end smoking for ever in the UK. Quite simply, anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 will never be legally able to buy tobacco products.

From 2027, the minimum legal age for the sale of tobacco will increase by one year (from the current age of 18) every year. There will be a permanent generational line: everyone above it will still be allowed to buy cigarettes; everyone below it won’t. ..."

A non-controversial public health policy? The UK’s gradual ban on smoking has been a PR success | Devi Sridhar | The Guardian "The world will be watching to see how the ban for anyone born after 2009 works out. So far it’s been a win with smokers and non-smokers alike"

UK Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026

Credits: Global Health NOW

Average cigarette pack costs US$40 in Australia thanks to drastic government anti smoking policies

Insane! What a foolish government failure despite many decades of experience with prohibition!

According to Google search "Australia has some of the world's strictest anti-smoking policies".

"Australia’s aggressive taxes on cigarettes have driven down smoking rates and raised an average pack’s cost to US$40. But they’ve also unleashed a nationwide black market ... 

The tax on a single cigarette has tripled in a decade to about US$1.06.  

Unintended consequences: 

The price spike has launched a huge demand for illegal cigarettes. A pack of under-the-counter cigarettes costs as little as US$7. "

Global Health NOW: Booming ‘Bootleg Cigarettes’ Down Under; and the Race for WHO Leadership Ramps Up

This is what the top fool look like (PM Albanese)

Back to textbooks: Denmark rolls back digital learning. Really!

Banning smartphones etc. is no solution! It is backwards. One extreme (too much screen time) is chasing another extreme (no screen time) for children. Bad politics!

A UK ban on TV junk food ads before 9 p.m.—and a total ban for online ads—takes effect today. Really!

Once a beacon of individual liberty, the decline of the UK continues since Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher!

How lousy is Prime Minister Keir Starmer?

Such nonsense government prohibitions are a sure Road to Serfdom!

No lessons learnt from the many failed ad bans on alcohol and tobacco products in the 20th century by Western countries! 

Notice also the Orwellian language used like "less healthy food". What the heck is that!!!

"... as part of a wider effort to tackle childhood obesity; the Advertising Standards Authority [???] will serve as the watchdog and enforcer for the bans. ..."

"... From 5 January 2026, ads for “identifiable” less healthy food and drink products will be banned from appearing:

• on television between 5:30am and 9:00pm 
• in on-demand programme services between 5:30am and 9:00pm  
• in paid online media at any time

..."

Global Health NOW: The Struggle to Stop Maternal Bleeding; and New Year’s Resolutions from the ‘Mother of Injury Prevention’

New rules and guidance for less healthy food and drink advertising (original news release)

Keir Starmer, official portrait (Source)

Pakistan brewery exporting after near 50-year ban

Good news! Are more Muslims discovering beer? 😊 Saudi Arabia is also loosening some of its strict alcohol regulations.

Saudi Arabia Quietly Lifts Its Alcohol Ban for some residents

Good news! In some countries progress is slower than in other countries! 😊

When will Saudi citizens claim discrimination and protest? Give me death or give me beer! Just kidding!

"Saudi Arabia is quietly permitting some residents to buy alcohol, breaking a longstanding taboo as the Islamic kingdom looks to expand its tourism sector, attract high-earning expatriates and modernize its conservative image.

Without making an announcement, the government in recent weeks has begun allowing non-Muslims with the premium residency status given to skilled or wealthy expatriates to buy beer, wine and spirits  ..."

Saudi Arabia Quietly Lifts Its Alcohol Ban - WSJ "The Islamic kingdom is loosening its laws against alcohol as part of a modernization push"

Der große Selbstbetrug der EU – Das Verbrenner-Verbot lebt weiter

Heller Wahnsinn, was sich die Europäer da wieder erlauben!

Ich hatte schon dazu vor ein paar Tagen hier gebloggt.

Ursula von der Leyen (auch bekannt als Flintensuschi oder Haarspray zementierte Friseuse), ein Überbleibsel der schrecklichen SED Kanzlerin Merkel. Sie wird auch noch bis 2029 oder ganze 10 Jahre im Amt bleiben. Unglaublich!

"Verbrennungsmotors, ist einem Schwindel aufgesessen. Die EU-Kommission verkauft ein „90-Prozent-Ziel“ als Lösung vom Verbrenner-Aus, in Wahrheit zementiert sie den industriellen Selbstmord Europas. Das Verbrenner-Aus wurde in ein bürokratisches Monstrum verwandelt, das der heimischen Industrie den Rest geben wird.

Der neue Plan ist ein Meisterwerk der Realitätsverweigerung. Anstatt den Markt entscheiden zu lassen, soll das Verbot durch Planwirtschaft durchgewetzt werden. Statt 100 Prozent CO2-Reduzierung nur 90 Prozent. Die verbleibenden 10 Prozent der Verbrenner sollen über „grünen Stahl“ und E-Fuels freigekauft werden. Das bedeutet: Ein Autohersteller muss künftig nicht mehr nur Motoren bauen, sondern Zertifikate-Jongleur spielen, um nachzuweisen, dass der Kotflügel aus wasserstoffbasiertem Stahl hergestellt wurde."

Der große Selbstbetrug – Das Verbrenner-Verbot lebt weiter "Das ist keine Verbrenner-Rettung, sondern Etikettenschwindel: Brüssel lässt das Verbot leben und tarnt es als „90-Prozent-Ziel“. Der Rest wird über E-Fuel-Ablasshandel und „grünen Stahl“ bürokratisch freigekauft – plus E-Zwang für Firmenflotten. Brüsseler Planwirtschaft frisst Arbeitsplätze."

Tichy's Einblick Newsletter

Reddit, a social media platform, launched a lawsuit against Australia’s new social media ban for teens under 16 citing free speech

Good news! Bravo! I am not sure Prime Minister Albanese is the sharpest knife in the kitchen (compared to previous prime ministers)!

"... arguing that the law is ineffective and restricts political discussion online."

Saturday, December 13, 2025 - Join The Flyover

Reddit sues Australia over social media ban, citing free speech threat

Versus

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (who championed this ban)

Ist die Aufhebung des Verbrennerverbots 2025 durch die EU nur ein großer Schwindel?

NIUS berichtet genau das!

"... Ein klassisches Beispiel dafür, wie sich der Hauptstadtjournalismus zum willigen Erfüllungsgehilfen der Polit-Propaganda macht, ist die gestrige Berichterstattung zum Verbrenner-Aus-Wirrwarr aus Brüssel.

Natürlich hat die EU nicht das „Aus fürs Verbrenner-Aus beschlossen!“ Beschlossen wurde eine Regelung, die fast noch absurder ist als das totale Verbrenner-Verbot und die man Trabi-Regel nennen könnte.

Der CO2-Ausstoß muss nicht um 100 Prozent, sondern um 90 Prozent reduziert werden.

Bedeutet: Nur noch ein sehr kleiner Teil der Autos darf CO2 ausstoßen. Autos, die noch einen ordentlichen Verbrenner haben, werden künstlich brutal verknappt und dadurch sagenhaft teuer.

Wer ab 2035 noch ein richtiges Auto kaufen will, muss sich in einer Warteliste eintragen. Nach ein paar Jahren (wenn man es sich leisten kann) hat man vielleicht Glück und bekommt ein Auto zugeteilt.

Die EU tut wirklich alles dafür, den Kontinent in eine sozialistische Zone zu verwandeln – und die Medien begleiten es wohlwollend. Vielleicht müssen die zwangsverknappten Verbrenner zum Ausgleich ja mit dem subventionierten und trotzdem vollkommen überteuerten „grünen Stahl“ gebaut werden. ..."

Die größten Reformen (aber nur in des Kanzlers Kopf)

Teens Worldwide Rebel Against Social Media Ban in Australia, Teens Eye VPNs to Get Around Social Media Ban with Molly Gambhir

Will the protest of the global youth bring down the stupid decision by Australia? Please start a rebellion!

Australia’s Sweeping Social Media Ban for users under 16 takes effect. Really!

I think, it is a very stupid idea to ban very young users!

Why should very young users not benefit from age-appropriate content on social media etc.

Why not have parents and social media companies take care of this issue instead of government prohibition!

Some parents might even be incited to circumvent this prohibition!

Saudi Arabia Plans New Alcohol Shops Ahead of Global Events with Palki Sharma

Good news! I toast to that! Are 70 years of prohibition finally coming to an end?

Why Australia is Blocking Children from Social Media? with Palki Sharma

What a social experiment! Prohibition is usually not a good choice! What about age appropriate content? Age verification and circumvention are big issues.

Remember, we have survived the introduction of the World Wide Web and the Internet in the 1990s when similar alarms were raised.

There’s Only One True Bipartisan Issue Left: Banning smartphones in school

This is a good one! A sad state of affairs! What is the definition of the lowest common denominator?

Banning smartphones and other smart devices from classrooms is a stupid and medieval idea! These devices and AI need to be integrated into the K-12 education.

The hyperbole that smartphones etc. cause mental illness in children is a false trope!

"... The Anxious Generation debuted as the top-selling, non-fiction book on the New York Times best-sellers list in March of 2024 and has remained on the list for the last 74 weeks — a Harry Potter-like longevity that, to put it mildly, is rarely accorded with works from PhD social scientists. This week, it’s back at number one.

39 states now have some sort of phone restrictions in schools, and 18 states and Washington, D.C. have bell-to-bell bans — which ban phones for the entire school day — according to Haidt. After the next legislative sessions, which in many state capitols begin after the new year, more states are sure to enact full bans. The issue has rallied conservatives and liberals, and its potency with parents has largely steamrolled libertarian objections and big tech lobbying. ..."

There’s Only One True Bipartisan Issue Left - POLITICO "Jonathan Haidt’s “The Anxious Generation” has prompted an unlikely bipartisan revolution to ban phones in classrooms."

"How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness?

Governor Kotek signs executive order banning cell phones in Oregon K-12 classrooms and school day. Really!

How stupid is that! Luddites in the 21st century!

When humans resort to prohibition than this often a sign of cluelessness!

Another US state follows this folly!

According to Google search: "As of June 2025,  ... [22] States with outright bans or restrictions: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia"

Smart devices need to be integrated into K-12 education!

"Governor Tina Kotek issued an executive order on Wednesday mandating all 197 school districts in Oregon ban student cell phone use during the school day.

“Oregon’s schools should be a place where students find belonging, support, and the joy of learning something new.” Governor Kotek said. ..."

Gov. Kotek signs executive order banning cell phones in Oregon K-12 classrooms

Governor Tina Kotek. Is she a Luddite? Maybe we should ban that Microsoft laptop next to her!

France to ban smoking in beaches, parks and outside schools. Really!

How stupid is this! Prohibition was tried before! What will be prohibited next? 

It stinks (no pun intended)! Big Government! Government paternalism! This happened under President Macron! I think his old, rich wife needs to beat him more often!

I hope the French people will protest against this!

P.S. My maternal grandmother was a chain smoker, but I never smoked.

Bipartisan US House of Representatives Vote Blocks California's 2035 Gas Car Ban

Good news! Bravo! We do not need Big Government and government prohibitions like that!

Lunacy of the government in California!

"The House of Representatives voted on Thursday to repeal a Biden-era Environmental Protection Agency waiver that allowed California to ban the selling of new gasoline-powered passenger vehicles by 2035.

The vote was 246-to-164, with 35 Democrats crossing party lines to join all 211 Republicans who were present in support of the joint resolution. The measure now goes to the Senate, where under the Congressional Review Act it would only need 51 votes, rather than the usual 60-vote filibuster-proof majority, to pass. ..."

Bipartisan House Vote Blocks California's 2035 Gas Car Ban

Goodbye Chips & Soda? Inside Mexico’s Junk Food Ban For Schools with Palki Sharma

Government prohibition is usually the dumbest thing to do and it often does not work! Is it not foremost the responsibility of parents to make sure that children eat healthy?

Handyverbot an Schulen in Niederlanden: Erfahrungen nach einem Jahr

Verbote sind oft sehr schlechte Massnahmen, wie in diesem Fall!

Handys sollten in den Unterricht integriert werden, wenn möglich! Handys könnten u.a. individuelles Lernen fördern.

Handyverbot an Schulen in Niederlanden: Erfahrungen nach einem Jahr "Mehr Konzentration und weniger Mobbing: Auch in der Schweiz und Deutschland wird der Ruf nach einheitlichen Regeln lauter. Die niederländischen Schüler haben plötzlich ungeahnte «Probleme»."

Model Legislation to Restrict Smartphone Use in K–12 Public Schools | Manhattan Institute. Really!

This is coming from a supposedly libertarian think tank! You have to wonder!

Should the Manhattan Institute not promote the integration of smartphones into daily teaching and learning?

Did we not have similar stupid discussions going on when TVs were introduced several decades ago! You bet!

"... Because of the detrimental impact on socialization and classroom learning and the potential harms to healthy childhood socialization, states, cities, and school districts should severely restrict the use of smartphones on school grounds for the entire school day and during other school-sponsored activities. This approach is aligned with the scientific and experiential evidence that the use of smartphones in schools distracts students from social interactions and academic responsibilities necessary for healthy development. It also accords with Haidt’s recommendation of a completely phone-free school day. ..."

Model Legislation to Restrict Smartphone Use in K–12 Public Schools | Manhattan Institute