I have written before about why HMRC's estimates of illicit tobacco sales are demonstrably wrong and greatly underestimate the size of the market. Aside from their figures being a mathematical impossibility and defying the evidence of one's eyes, there is a further reason to be suspicious of HMRC's claims.| Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
Christopher Snowdon blogging about the nanny state, smoking, drinking, vaping, gambling and food policy. Established 2009.| velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com
Christopher Snowdon blogging about the nanny state, smoking, drinking, vaping, gambling and food policy. Established 2009.| velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com
Christopher Snowdon blogging about the nanny state, smoking, drinking, vaping, gambling and food policy. Established 2009.| velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com
ASH are agitating for outdoor smoking bans again, this time with a dubious survey - see my Substack.| Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
Australia saw another two murders in its ongoing nicotine wars last week and the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) has finally had enough.| Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
The BBC has been waking up to the scale of Britain's illicit tobacco market. Packs of illicit whites sold for a fiver are one of the more visible symptoms of a country in which rules and regulations are treated as optional. We free marketeers have been warning that this would happen for years but were given short shrift. The BBC isn't ready to admit that we were right, but the problem is too big to be ignored completely.| Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
I've written about the Online Safety Act and the broader issue of semi-criminalisation in Britain for The Critic.| Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
Christopher Snowdon blogging about the nanny state, smoking, drinking, vaping, gambling and food policy. Established 2009.| velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com
A study| Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
Some good news for consumers and taxpayers in the Politico newsletter...| Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
It's almost surreal to hear people insist that the black market in tobacco is (a) negligible, and (b) unrelated to tobacco taxes. In places like Australia and the UK, this not only contradicts our "lived experience" but also basic economics. | Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
You probably know them as amusement | Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
Christopher Snowdon blogging about the nanny state, smoking, drinking, vaping, gambling and food policy. Established 2009.| velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com
Since writing about HMRC's implausible claim that only 6.9% of cigarettes in the UK were 'non-duty paid' in 2022/23, they have produced new figures claiming that the figure for 2023/24 was 10.5% (oddly, the previous year's number has been upgraded to 9.1%). I have been trying to think of any scenario in which this could be true. It is not just that the estimate doesn't not match what I'm seeing on the street, but that it is mathematically impossible under any reasonable set of assumptions.| Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
I've written about the Tobacco and Vapes Bill for the Telegraph. We must never forget how stupid and reckless this legislation is.| Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
I've written a two-parter on my Substack about an issue of a journal, guest edited by Chris van Tulleken, dedicated to the "commercial determinants of health" and - his main obsession - "conflicts of interest".| Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
Christopher Snowdon blogging about the nanny state, smoking, drinking, vaping, gambling and food policy. Established 2009.| velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com
Christopher Snowdon blogging about the nanny state, smoking, drinking, vaping, gambling and food policy. Established 2009.| velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com
Ian Gilmore has been mouthing off in the letters section of the Financial Times. I have written about it for The Critic...| Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
I returned to the Spectator's Fire at Will podcast this week with Will Kingston, talking the nanny state. And you can hear more from Will on next week's episode of Last Orders if all goes to plan.| Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
Because of course they do. | Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
Christopher Snowdon blogging about the nanny state, smoking, drinking, vaping, gambling and food policy. Established 2009.| velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com
Shroud-waving is a terrible basis for | Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
You may have noticed that I don't plug Last Orders episodes here any more. That's because we've been doing it for years and if you haven't subscribed yet, you probably never will. | Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
It's Nanny State Index day! Every two years I plough through the taxes and regulations of 29 countries to find out which is the worst. You can visit the new website and download the publication. You can also read this short overview by me for the Spectator. Enjoy!| Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
I've written about weight loss jabs for The Telegraph....| Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
Christopher Snowdon blogging about the nanny state, smoking, drinking, vaping, gambling and food policy. Established 2009.| velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com
Christopher Snowdon blogging about the nanny state, smoking, drinking, vaping, gambling and food policy. Established 2009.| velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com
Christopher Snowdon blogging about the nanny state, smoking, drinking, vaping, gambling and food policy. Established 2009.| velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com
Christopher Snowdon blogging about the nanny state, smoking, drinking, vaping, gambling and food policy. Established 2009.| velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com
Christopher Snowdon blogging about the nanny state, smoking, drinking, vaping, gambling and food policy. Established 2009.| velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com