Is the UK Government Harming its Citizens With Some of Their Public Health Policies?

The United Kingdom has a government-sponsored universal public healthcare system known as NHS (National Healthcare Service), which consists of various publicly-funded healthcare subsystems. These subsystems include the NHS Scotland, NHS England, NHS Wales, and Health & Social Care in Northern Ireland. Every citizen is entitled to quality healthcare under the NHS system but still has the option to purchase private health insurance as well.

According to a recent Commonwealth Fund’s study of seven highly industrialized nations, the UK’s healthcare system is among the most efficient systems in the world. The report analysed five areas of performance which include access to healthcare, efficiency, healthy lives, equity, and quality. The Netherlands ranked first, closely followed by the United Kingdom and Australia. Indeed, UK performed well in terms of access to healthcare and quality of healthcare services. It also ranked first in terms of efficiency, which determines the total national spending as a percentage or fraction of the region’s GDP.

Are some of the UK’s public health policies harmful?

Beyond the general elements of the UK’s public healthcare system, it is important to analyse various public health policies that strike controversy to some of the region’s citizens. The most burning question is whether or not the United Kingdom government is harming its citizens with various public health policies.

For instance, think of the UK’s stance on e-cigarettes. Since the bursting of the e-cigarettes more than ten years ago, vaping has taken the global market by storm. More consumers are swapping their regular cigars for electronic cigarettes. Governments in nations and cities spanning the globe have enacted new regulations and laws regarding the use of e-cigarettes.

UK government is one of the top governments worldwide with a favourable view on the use of e-cigarettes. Electronic cigarette devices have been available in UK markets for more than ten years, and during that period, they’ve gone through various changes. However, there are few restrictions on vaping products. These regulations are in place to ensure quality vape products and to protect consumers. So, if you plan to buy V2 Cigs, it is in your best interest to learn various regulations regarding the strength of e-liquids and other aspects of vaping products.

Authorities in the UK recognize the fact that vaping is a way less harmful alternative compared to smoking tobacco cigarettes. For this reason, the government has been somewhat hesitant to ban vaping outright. However, there are important regulations in place to ensure consumer safety and protect those who don’t want to be exposed to vapour clouds.

Most of these regulations apply to the product manufacturing process, advertisement, and sale of vaping products. There are strict limits regarding the specific nicotine percentage a vape liquid can contain as well as the capacities for e-liquid containers, clearomizer, and cartridges. These regulations also direct manufacturers not to claim that their vaping products are safer than regular tobacco cigarettes, even though PHE (Public Health England) has revealed that vaping is 95% safer than smoking.

In addition to the dilemma created by the increased use of e-cigarettes in the United Kingdom, you may want to think about the rapidly growing CBD market. Well, every country has its problem with recreational drugs, and the United Kingdom is no exception. According to the ONS, cannabis has consistently been the most abused drug in Wales and England is 1995. In 2020, 7.8% of adults aged 16 years to 59 years reported using marijuana in the previous year.

Let’s put things into perspective here; 7.8% of the adult population aged 16 years and 59 years is equivalent to 2.6 million people. It should be noted that there’s a heated debate over the use of the cannabis plant for medical reasons, leading to its legalization in the United States and other countries. Marijuana remains to be an illegal drug in the United Kingdom, but CBD (extracted from hemp plants is legal). Indeed, high-street CBD products containing less than 1 mg of THC are sold as supplements.

Note that CBD (the legal component of marijuana) is extracted from industrial hemp. These plants are cultivated under strict guidelines, which is why they contain higher CBD content and low levels of THC (the psychotic component of marijuana). These products are perceived to be a safer alternative to cannabis and offer consumers the opportunity to reap the health benefits of hemp plants.

Double-edged sword 

Back to the main question, “is the UK government harming its citizens with some of their public health policies?”

There’s no ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer to this question. Each policy seems to have both benefits and downsides, just like other policies in other countries. Sure, legalizing a component of the most abused psychotic drug (cannabis) may seem questionable. But this of the alleged health benefits of CBD-infused products. On the other hand, the UK’s favour of e-cigarettes might seem controversial. But if e-cigarettes are a better alternative than traditional tobacco cigarettes, this could be the reason the UK’s public health system favours such products.

The good news is that there are strict laws and regulations to ensure consumer safety. For instance, there are regulations regarding the cultivation of hemp plants, extraction of CBD, advertisement, and sale of CBD-infused products. Similarly, there are regulations that govern the manufacture, marketing, and the use of e-liquids and vaping devices.

As much as much as some people want to believe that legalizing such products could harm the UK citizens, these products remain to be much better alternatives. This is the nature of some UK public health policies.

Summary

As mentioned earlier, UK has a comprehensive public healthcare system that aims to ensure safety and quality care services to citizens. At the same time, there are policies that can be interpreted like double edged swords, such as the legalization of CBD-infused products and the nation’s policies that favour e-cigars. So, it is up to you to use or sell these products in accordance to the regulations governing such issues. After all, these laws and regulations are enacted to ensure consumer safety.