Anything but 'empowerment'? Smokers,tar and nicotine data and cigarette design

While there are important differences between the public health policies of Conservative governments of the 1980s and 90s and the current British Labour government a significant element of continuity is the emphasis on government facilitating informed choice by consumers as a key public health objective. The article considers such approaches to disclosure of health risks with respect to policy on the regulation of smoking. It argues that regulation, in this area, under the Conservatives has not served to 'empower' consumers and that such regulatory weaknesses appear to be replicated under its successor. Defects in regulation are traced with respect to disclosure of information on tar and nicotine 'yields'; and cigarette design with respect to tip ventilation and the use of additives to increase nicotine delivery. It is argued that lack of disclosure and insufficient controls on the industry have led to consumers being misled concerning the relative risks of different types of cigarette. Equally, it is also likely that such deficiencies have enabled manufacturers to represent some cigarette types as 'safe'. The paper concludes by arguing that, while the weaknesses of the current regulatory regime suggest the need for measures of increased disclosure and control of product design, there is also an unresolved tension as to whether 'empowerment' is an intrinsic goal of policy or a means to the achievement of public health targets.