A strip of red tape too far?

So there's been the smoking ban in public places. There'll soon be horrifying graphic images on every packet of cigarettes. There was the ban of unhealthy snacks being sold in schools and now there is the demand for them to be banned in the NHS, which I agreed with yesterday. 

But is there rather too much red tape being spun out too quickly? 

Now there's to be a new system of government restrictions on alcohol. Alcoholic drinks are not to be promoted as a means of increasing social, sexual, physical, mental, financial or sporting performance, I read in the "Sunday Times" today. Instead, messages quite the opposite are to be conveyed.

"Happy hours" will be banned in bars, wine in restaurants will have to be served in glasses with marked measures, cocktails will not be allowed to be given names such as "Sex on the beach", health warnings will have to be put up wherever alcohol is served... and the list goes on.

Is anyone that so much as smokes a cigarette, eats a chocolate bar or drinks more than one glass of wine eventually going to be made to feel ashamed of their image of "anti social and self destructing" behaviours? All because of the daily messages of fear the government attaches to these sometimes comforting habits. 

It is slightly patronising to assume that the public in general cannot be responsible for their own drinking habits. Sometimes people can be irresponsible, but should we all have to be confronted with these constant reminders of everything we do is wrong. 

To have the fear of God drummed into us, that we may die if we take another sip of beverage isn't so nice when you just want to go out in the evenings to relax and have a sociable drink or two.