Where tough laws fail, apparently complex regulations could succeed, when it comes to deterring smokers.
At least that’s what health authorities in England seem to believe. For starters the Health England, a ministerial advisory board, is proposing a ban on the sale of cigarettes to anyone who does not pay for a government smoking permit.But the matter doesn’t stop there. For while the permit itself might cost as little as £10, acquiring it could become difficult as the application forms might be made as complex as possible.
The idea is the brainchild of the Health England's chairman, Julian Le Grand, who is a professor at the London School of Economics and was Tony Blair's senior health adviser. In a paper being studied by Lord Darzi, the health minister appointed to oversee NHS reform, he says many smokers would be helped to break the habit if they had to make a decision whether to "opt in".
His paper says: "Suppose every individual who wanted to buy tobacco had to purchase a permit. And suppose further they had to do this every year. To get a permit would involve filling out a form and supplying a photograph, as well as paying the fee. Permits would only be issued to those over 18 and evidence of age would have to be provided. The money raised would go to the NHS."
Le Grand said the proposal was an example of "libertarian paternalism". The government would leave people free to make their own decisions but it would "nudge them" in the right direction.
He said there was a parallel in pensions law. If workers were automatically enrolled in a pension scheme, few would choose to opt out. But if they had to make a conscious decision to opt in, most people would stay out, the Guardian newspaper reports.
Advertisement
The paper, written by Le Grand and Divya Srivastava, an LSE researcher, acknowledges: "Administratively it would require addressing the problem of the existing black markets and smuggling in tobacco; but this should probably be done anyway."
Advertisement
"On the other hand, the popularity even among smokers of the smoking ban in public places suggests that firm actions in this area can lead to political as well as health pay-offs."
The paper also proposes incentives for large companies to provide a daily "exercise hour" for employees and a ban on salt in processed food.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said last night: "We will be consulting later this year on the next steps for tobacco control. Ministers are looking for input from a full range of stakeholders."
Source-Medindia
GPL/K