ABSTRACT

This chapter distinguishes the paternalistic content of product safety regulation, and in so doing, provide a more general framework for distinguishing the paternalistic content of any public health policy. Distinguishing the paternalistic content of policy is important if we want to evaluate the widespread resistance to paternalism codified in liberal anti-paternalist principles. The UK General Product Safety Regulations 2005 state that products may not brought to market if they present more than the minimum risk compatible with the product's use, considered to acceptable and consistent with a high level protection for the safety and health of persons'. Most accounts of paternalism can e accommodated by the general definition interference with a person, against her will, for her good or an interference several people against their will for their good. In the following, each of these three components will discussed and applied to the case of product safety regulation, without commitment to a certain specification of any of the components.