Christopher Snowdon is director of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs. His research focuses on lifestyle freedoms, prohibition and policy-based evidence. He is an occasional contributor to City AM and Spiked, and regularly appears on TV and radio discussing social and economic issues. Born in North Yorkshire, he studied history at Lancaster University and now lives with his wife and daughter in Sussex.

Snowdon’s work encompasses a diverse range of topics including “sin taxes,” state funding of charities, happiness economics, public health regulation, gambling, and the black market. Recent publications include “The Proof of the Pudding: Denmark’s Fat Tax Fiasco,” “The Crack Cocaine of Gambling?” “The Wages of Sin Taxes,” “Drinking in the Shadow Economy,” “Sock Puppets: How the government lobbies itself and why” and “Closing Time: Who’s killing the British pub?” He is also the author of Selfishness, Greed and Capitalism (2015), The Art of Suppression (2011), The Spirit Level Delusion (2010) and Velvet Glove, Iron Fist (2009).