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  • Feb, 2013

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    Most important factor in government regulation

    Q. What should be the most important factor Governments consider in relation to regulating each of these issues – protecting rights and freedom, protecting people’s health and safety or managing the cost to taxpayers (e.g. health costs of drug/alcohol/tobacco use)?

     

    Protecting rights and freedom 

    Protecting people’s health and safety

    Managing the cost to taxpayers

    Don’t know

    Wearing seatbelts in cars

    5%

    89%

    3%

    3%

    Wearing bike helmets

    6%

    88%

    3%

    3%

    Personal use of recreational drugs

    14%

    64%

    13%

    10%

    Smoking in public places

    16%

    70%

    8%

    6%

    Buying and consuming alcohol

    18%

    64%

    11%

    7%

    Shopping hours

    48%

    13%

    16%

    23%

    Cigarette packaging

    15%

    65%

    10%

    10%

    Junk food advertising

    13%

    70%

    8%

    9%

    Gambling, poker machines

    22%

    46%

    20%

    12%

    Films (i.e. censorship)

    51%

    21%

    8%

    19%

    The internet

    56%

    21%

    7%

    16%

    Making public statements which other people might find offensive

    54%

    18%

    5%

    23%

    For most of the areas listed above, the majority of respondents thought the most important factor for Governments to consider was ‘protecting people’s health and safety’.

    The areas where respondents thought that is was more important to consider ‘protecting rights and freedoms’ were the internet (56%), making statements which other people might find offensive (54%), films (51%) and shopping hours (48%). ‘Managing the cost to tax payers’ was not considered to be an important factor by most respondents.

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