site.btaBulgaria Ranks Among Less Restrictive Countries in Latest Nanny State Index

Bulgaria is among the countries with a more liberal approach to restrictions on alcohol, harmful food and beverages, and tobacco products, although strict restrictions apply in the case of tobacco products, according to the Institute for Market Economics, a partner of the publication Nanny State Index. The top three European countries that are the least restrictive on the lifestyles of their citizens are Germany, Czechia and Italy, the Institute said Wednesday. 

Since 2016, the Institute for Economic Research in London and the think-tank Epicenter (European Policy Information Centre) have been compiling and publishing the so-called Nanny State Index, which measures the extent to which countries in Europe restrict consumer choice through regulations on alcohol, unhealthy food and drink, smoking and e-cigarette use. The index ranges from 0 to 100, and the higher a country's score, the tighter its restrictions. It has three categories with equal weighting in its formation - alcohol, food and drink, and nicotine. Adding different restrictions to a category increases that country's score, with examples being special excise taxes, advertising restrictions, bans on use in certain places, bans on open display in shops, higher minimum legal drinking ages, special packaging, and others.

These policies have a number of drawbacks such as higher costs for consumers, limited choice, stifled competition and innovation, unnecessary burden and expansion of the administrative apparatus and higher illegal trade. Despite these downsides, such policies are imposed in pursuit of health and budgetary objectives. The 2023 Index clearly shows that while the trend in Europe is towards tighter controls and more of these types of policies, their effectiveness is often low with no clear link between restrictions and bans and longer life expectancy.

The 2023 index level data shows a trend of tightening restrictions with very rare and isolated examples of relaxed consumption in some countries (such as Norway, which recently abolished a tax on high-sugar foods and beverages). For example, the number of countries with excise taxes on sugary drinks doubled (from 5 to 10) between 2017 and 2023. There has been a doubling (from 8 to 15) of countries additionally taxing e-cigarette liquids. In Turkiye and Norway, nicotine e-cigarettes are banned entirely. In a number of countries, new restrictions on alcohol consumption have emerged in recent years - for example, minimum prices have been introduced in Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and in Lithuania the minimum drinking age has been raised to 20 in 2022.

Results

The country with the most stringent restrictions in this area is Turkiye, with very strict policies on alcohol, nicotine products and some harmful drinks. Turkiye's index value is 54.2, followed by Norway (43.3) and Lithuania (43.3). The least restrictive countries are Germany (index value 10), Czechia (13.1) and Italy (14.4).

Where is Bulgaria

Bulgaria tends to rank among the more liberal countries, with an index value of 16.8. Regulation in Bulgaria is relatively light on alcohol (low excise duties, relatively light restrictions on advertising), and on harmful foods and drinks (unlike many countries, there is no excise duty on goods with large amounts of sugar). Bulgaria is also still relatively liberal on e-cigarettes, although a new excise duty on e-cigarettes containing nicotine will come into force in 2023. Smoking restrictions are the strictest, where Bulgaria is far ahead in the rankings - the ban on smoking in public places is among the strictest in Europe, excise duties on cigarettes are the second highest relative to income, and advertising restrictions are also quite tight. 

The main conclusion of the new edition of the index is that instead of micro-regulating the behaviour of their citizens, politicians and bureaucrats should make efforts to achieve economic growth and prosperity, which ultimately improves quality of life and achieves not only economic, but also health goals across society. 

About the index

The Index is produced every two years by the Institute of Economic Research in London in collaboration with local partners in European countries. The Index is made up of three categories that have an equal weighting of 33.3% - alcohol, nicotine and food, with each category having different criteria. The nicotine category is split equally between tobacco products and e-cigarettes. The index analyses only policies with a negative effect on consumers, with different policies weighted differently according to their importance for consumption.