Norway’s newly appointed health minister, Sylvi Listhaug, has said that people should be informed about the risks of certain behaviors, but not be told what to do.
“My starting point for this with public health is very simple. I do not plan to be the moral police, and will not tell people how to live their lives, but I intend to help people get information that forms the basis for making choices,” Listhaug told Norwegian broadcaster NRK in an interview on Monday.
“People should be allowed to smoke, drink and eat as much red meat as much as they want,” Listhaug said. “The authorities may like to inform, but people know pretty much what is healthy and what is not healthy … Many smokers feel like pariahs. So they almost feel they have to hide away, and I think that’s stupid. Although smoking is not good, because it is harmful, adults have to decide for themselves what they do.”
Anne Lise Ryel, secretary general of the Norwegian Cancer Society, said Listhaug’s comments were potentially harmful to public health.