TWINKIE CENSORS

Banning TV ads for junk food.

By William Saletan
Updated Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008, at 8:02 AM ET

New year-end columns on the top Human Nature stories and privacy threats of 2007. (For discussions of the latest topics, check out the Human Nature Fray.)

Scientists are testing a vaccine for cocaine. It blocks the high (and thereby discourages continued use) by prompting your immune system to attack the drug. Other vaccine targets: nicotine, meth, heroin. Skeptical reactions: 1) Lots of anti-addiction drugs have failed. 2) Addicts might override the immune response by increasing their cocaine dosage. 3) They might switch to new drugs. Ethical questions: 1) Should the vaccine be used preemptively on non-addicts? 2) Should it be imposed on addicts who are pregnant, to protect their babies? 3) Could parents force it on kids, like other vaccinations? 4) Should judges be allowed to offer it in exchange for sentence reductions? Human Nature's view: If you're addicted, you're already under coercion, so anti-addiction drugs may not be such an imposition. (Join the Fray thread on addiction vaccines.)

Britain implemented a ban on junk-food ads during TV shows for minors. The ban applies to 1) "foods high in fat, salt and sugar" and 2) shows that attract a "significantly higher than average proportion of viewers under the age of 16." This follows a previous ban that applied to kids 9 or younger. The government also "plans to ban the use of celebrities and characters, such as cartoon heroes, to advertise unhealthy food." Rationale: Controlling child obesity. Britons' objections: 1) The ban doesn't go far enough, because it doesn't cover adult-oriented shows that some kids watch. 2) It should cover all shows that air before 9 p.m. 3) The government caved in to the financial greed of broadcasters and "the food industry." (Related: The battle against junk food; the war on soda; regulating salt; the worst privacy invasions of 2007.)