An Update On That Non-Existent Slippery Slope

"The “domino theory” i.e. that once a measure has been applied to tobacco it will be applied to other products is patently false." - Deborah Arnott, Feb 2012

"Look, if the slope is slippery, it's the most unslippery slippery dip I've ever seen in my life." - Simon Chapman, Aug 2012

What prompted those condescending quotes of denial was the idea that if we don't stand up to tobacco control industry fascists, sooner or later we'll have to suffer overweening hyperbole like this when ordering a bottle of wine.

'WARNING! Alcohol can cause death, poisoning, cancer and addiction'

So I thought today might be a good time to have a look at how "unslippery" that slippery slope is being recently. You know, to see how "patently false" the domino theory is.

'Put cigarette-style health warnings on fizzy drinks,' urge health chiefs

Last night Shirley Cramer, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health, said: 'The results of this study are promising, suggesting that health warning labels could have a role in the battle against poor diet and obesity. 

'As a society we are consuming too much sugar and in addition to a sugar tax any measure which is effective in reducing purchases, and ultimately consumption of sugary drinks should be welcomed. 

'Given the success that health warnings have had in other areas, such as smoking, it is right that we should adopt similar measures that may be effective in encouraging people to change their behaviour.' 

This follows just a few days after another bunch of tax spongers demanded the same for bottles of wine, using the Chief Morality Officer's evidence-free alcohol 'guidelines' as the justification.

Graphic cigarette-style warnings urged for alcohol

Alison Douglas, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said: “People have the right to know what they’re putting into their bodies so they can make informed choices. The next step is to make sure the new guidelines are clearly communicated to the public. 

“One way to help inform customers would be to have compulsory health warnings on all alcohol products.”

Yes, just guidelines, remember, (even though the CMO's own report called them limits) because they are not going to be used as a tool for scaremongery and coercion, oh no.

I sometimes debate inwardly about whether 'public health' are fully aware that they lie every time their lips move, or whether the words just tumble out and coincidentally turn out to be proven embarrassingly wrong. Either way they are obviously undeserving of taxpayer cash and should be starved of it, in my opinion.

If you find any other examples like this of the slippery slope quite clearly not being a thing, and other consumer products definitely not being attacked by following the tobacco control template, do let me know won't you?