Nanny State and Education: A fairy godmother or a wicked witch? Janet Hoek

Overview Challenge a soubriquet Whats wrong with nanny state? Explore a paradox Embracing a nanny state promotes individual freedom Elicit your support What does this nanny state have to do with education? Promoting healthy environments for young people

So, whats wrong with nanny state? Held out as being the antithesis of a desirable society

So, whats wrong with nanny state? Labour makes all our lifestyle decisions – such as what we wear and how we cut our hair spectre of the food police delving into the supermarket trolleys of ordinary New Zealanders this is Helen Clark getting into your pantry

Some New Zealanders will see this as the nanny state butting in again

So, whats wrong with nanny state?

Name-calling just ad hominem Avoids rational debate The logical problem … Giving a proposal a label a counter argument The social problem... Deflects attention away from serious public health problems and how these might best be addressed

The paradox: Nanny state and freedom

What does all this have to do with education? A LOT!! Many behaviours formed during adolescence and young adulthood Environment a critical factor in shaping these behaviours

adolescents consistently overestimate the number of young people and adults who smoke. Those with the highest overestimates are more likely to become smokers than are those with more accurate perceptions. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People: A Report of the Surgeon General (1994)

Source: Paynter, Edwards et al. 2009

Opportunities for collaboration Tobacco Retail outlets Youth-oriented events Plain packaging Food Availability Alcohol Marketing and Availability Three key areas:

Opportunities for collaboration Accessibility It has put itself (in the phrase of a Coca-Cola executive with a literary bent) "always within an arm's length of desire." And where there is no desire for it, Coke creates desire. Time Magazine

Tobacco Accessibility When advertising is not possible, accessibility is paramount Restrict number and density of outlets Reduce outlet concentration Limit opening hours (times at which tobacco might be sold ) Restrict proximity Cannot be within a certain distance of schools

Youth-Oriented Events Tobacco company can no longer sponsor events so instead obtains exclusive supply rights Rhythm and Vines NZ Fashion Week Public outrage works Can generate political pressure

The argument for plain cigarette packaging is one of the most stark examples of how Nanny State regulations treat individuals as childish automatons (Institute of Public Affairs, Australia)

We would not pronounce any link between smoking and lung cancer until all smokers died of the disease and all its victims were smokers (Hastings, Aitken, and Mackintosh,1994, p. 197).

Questions, comments, further discussion: Janet Hoek