Put down those crisps and back away!

Regulator Ofcom is reportedly going to ban television ads featuring celebrities selling junk food from the hours when children most often watch TV. Is this honestly going to stop children eating junk food? When does regulation stops and nanny state madness begin? I certainly grasp that the power of suggestion goes a long way - that's why supermarkets pump the smell of fresh bread from their bakery section to the front door, for example. But the TV antics of gurning wingnut Gary Lineker have never once made me buy a bag of crisps - of any brand.

Of course, I'm an utter hypocrite when it comes to regulations that suit me. Scotland banned smoking in public buildings last Sunday, and I went to a local pub on Monday night to sample the smoke-free air. I could breathe, I could talk without coughing, and I could even see the colour of the ceiling [stained yellow by years of cigarette smoke, natch]. Better still, I walked out not stinking like a nicotine kipper and my clothes didn't reek of tobacco the next morning. Now that's what I call progress...