Twenty-five years ago, when I started working on tobacco control at a government policy level, the politicians used to reject our recommendations that they ban tobacco advertising and up the tax on cigarettes. They said it was a slippery slope, the thin edge of the wedge—after demanding that they ban smoking, would we turn on chocolate, beer, eating out?

Of course not! I said. Smoking is totally different to obesity! Most people who drink alcohol aren’t addicted! I thought they were being misled by industry lobbyists.

How naive was I?