From ‘nanny state’ to ‘therapeutic state’

[摘要] The bogey of the ‘nanny state’ hovers over every discussion of public health policy. Faced with demands for measures to curtail smoking in public, obesity, binge-drinking or gambling, ministers declare that ‘we must guard against charges of nanny statism’. In response, health promotion enthusiasts — like Anna Coote of the King's Fund — ask ‘what's so terrible about the nanny state anyway?’.1 Coote cites a list of legislative restrictions introduced to reduce road traffic accidents — speed limits, safety belts, motorcycle helmets, breathalyser tests — that were once fiercely resisted as ‘nanny statism’, but are now generally accepted. She believes that policies now under discussion will soon be similarly regarded as part of the long march of progress towards a more enlightened and healthier society.

[学科分类] 卫生学