The most effective tactic in the nannies' war on choice is "de-normalization." Rather than zeroing in on specific product abusers, nannies instead try to change everyone's behavior by shifting public opinion against socially acceptable products and activities.
Sound far fetched? Let's let the nannies speak for themselves:
"The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' 'Healthy People 2000' Goals for the Nation calls for a 24% reduction in overall alcohol consumption."
(Center for Science in the Public Interest news release, March 1999)
The "Health and Healthcare 2010" report funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation states they can stop alcohol abuse by a relative few through "regulation of alcohol outlets, restricting advertising, media advocacy and taxation."
("Small Steps in the Right Direction," Chapter 11, February 2000)
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration gathered a task force of 13 prominent nanny researchers for a two-day session on how to "reposition" the adult beverage industry. One activist recommended: "The alcohol industry, represented by bars and other centers of excessive drinking, can also be portrayed as institutions that are sometimes nice but 'killing us softly.'"
("Lessons Learned from Public Health Campaigns" Final Report, May 1995)