Fun Police (Consumer Choice Center)

The official trailer for the second season of the Fun Police podcast series. Episode one will be released on January 31, 2024. New episodes, four in total, dropping week by week.

Released on January 17, 2024

More resources of the Fun Police campaign: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/fun-police/

Check out the weekly podcast ConsEUmer: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/conseumer/

Check out Consumer Choice Podcast (formerly Consumer Choice Radio): https://consumerchoicecenter.org/radio/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 2: The Billionaire

Every prohibitionist movement needs its funders. Its moneymen. Usually, there are powerful industrialists who've made it big and are "giving back" by restricting choices of the little people. For popular movements against alcohol in the 1900s, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and Henry Ford were the principal philanthropists. Neoprohibitionists now rely on a man with a name as iconic as his money: Michael Bloomberg.

Through his three-term New York City mayoral stint and global funding campaign against sugar, salt, trans-fats, and vaping products, Fun Police Captain Michael Bloomberg cuts above the prohibitionist industrialists of the past. With his major connections and funding to hundreds of NGOs and global treaty organizations, including the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and groups like Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids, Bloomberg's quests have gone far beyond simple education to directly shape policy that deprives consumers of making their own choices.

For more, we interview investigative journalist Marc Gunther, who has studied this in depth, and unveils the unfortunate human toll of Bloomberg's crusade against vaping products used by adults.

Act 1: The fruits of capitalism grow poisonous

Act 2: The Bloomberg Terminal cause

Act 3: Where it all ends

Released on November 22, 2023

More resources of the Fun Police campaign: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/fun-police/

Marc Gunther's website: https://www.marcgunther.com/

Check out the weekly podcast ConsEUmer: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/conseumer/

Check out Consumer Choice Podcast (formerly Consumer Choice Radio): https://consumerchoicecenter.org/radio/

Fun Police is a Consumer Choice Center original podcast. This episode was written, researched, and edited by Yaël Ossowski. Contributing research by Bill Wirtz.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many people attempt to quit smoking, but it's a difficult task. With the availability of smoking cessation devices, the question is: how effective are they, and why are they being treated the same as smoking? In this episode, we take a look at tobacco harm reduction, its proponents and adversaries.

Act 1: Thank you for Not Smoking

Act 2: Just Say No

Act 3: Difficult goodbyes

Released on November 29, 2023

More resources of the Fun Police campaign: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/fun-police/

Check out the weekly podcast ConsEUmer: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/conseumer/

Check out Consumer Choice Podcast (formerly Consumer Choice Radio): https://consumerchoicecenter.org/radio/

Fun Police is a Consumer Choice Center original podcast. This episode was written and researched by Bill Wirtz. Contributing research by Elizabeth Hicks and Emil Panzaru. Editing by Yaël Ossowski and Bill Wirtz.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The official trailer for the third season of Fun Police. Episodes start streaming March 5th.

Released on February 26, 2025.

More resources of the Fun Police campaign: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/fun-police/

Check out our weekly podcast ConsEUmer: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/conseumer/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this third episode, we look at the role of international institutions when it comes to litigation. IARC, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, uses a method of analysing hazard, not risk, opening up companies to expensive litigation. This appears to be used as a method to impose quasi bans.

Act 1: Precaution

Act 2: Lawyer up

Act 3: Conflicts of interest

Released on January 14, 2024.

More resources of the Fun Police campaign: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/fun-police/

Check out the weekly podcast ConsEUmer: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/conseumer/

Check out Consumer Choice Podcast (formerly Consumer Choice Radio): https://consumerchoicecenter.org/radio/

Fun Police is a Consumer Choice Center original podcast. This episode was written and researched by Bill Wirtz. Editing by Yaël Ossowski and Bill Wirtz.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To understand Neo-prohibitionism, we need to understand the premise of their arguments. In this episode we talk about the harm principle, and the implications of self-harm. We also analyse the history of prohibition throughout time and answer the question: is prohibitionism limited to only one culture, or is it a universal fallacy?

We close the episode with a Canadian example of how neo-prohibitionists operate.

Act 1: Do you want to live?

Act 2: Recycling old adages

Act 3: The Method

Released on November 15, 2023

More resources of the Fun Police campaign: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/fun-police/

Check out the weekly podcast ConsEUmer: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/conseumer/

Check out Consumer Choice Podcast (formerly Consumer Choice Radio): https://consumerchoicecenter.org/radio/

Fun Police is a Consumer Choice Center original podcast. This episode was written and researched by Bill Wirtz. Contributing research by Elizabeth Hicks and Emil Panzaru. Editing by Yaël Ossowski and Bill Wirtz.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The official trailer for the Fun Police 5-part podcast series, a Consumer Choice Center original podcast. Episode one dropping November 15, 2023. New episodes week by week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of Fun Police, we are focusing specifically on Canada, a country which unlike any other displays all the things that go wrong with neo-prohibitionism. 

In this first episode: an unholy alliance of holy rituals and profiteers of prohibitionism.

Act 1: A question of tradition

Act 2: A lucrative scheme

Act 3: The difference between hurt and harm

Released on March 5, 2025.

More resources of the Fun Police campaign: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/fun-police/

Check out our weekly podcast ConsEUmer: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/conseumer/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have a fascination with gambling, but for some, it is also seen as both shady and dangerous. As a result, activists try to ban it, for public health reasons and on the grounds of morality. The promise of potential winnings are evil, they say.

But what are the consequences of making gambling illegal, and what are the economic benefits of legalising activities such as sports betting and games of chance?

In this episode we take a closer look at gambling. Also in this episode: plain packaging is becoming popular in public health advocacy. Is all marketing inherently predatory? And: the fun police is even coming after your pool rental. There seems to be no stopping them.

Act 1:  Rolling the dice

Act 2: You're so plain

Act 3: Outsourcing the fun police

Released on December 6, 2023

More resources of the Fun Police campaign: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/fun-police/

Check out the weekly podcast ConsEUmer: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/conseumer/

Check out Consumer Choice Podcast (formerly Consumer Choice Radio): https://consumerchoicecenter.org/radio/

Fun Police is a Consumer Choice Center original podcast. This episode was written and researched by Bill Wirtz. Contributing research by Elizabeth Hicks and Emil Panzaru. Editing by Yaël Ossowski and Bill Wirtz.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of the Fun Police podcast, we are looking at the role of international institutions in the propagation of misinformation and how prohibitionists are using them to further their goals. 

In this episode: the dirty on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and its Conference of the Parties (COP), the World Health Organization's treaty organ that continues to deny the science on harm reduction and the usefulness of nicotine alternatives in getting people to quit smoking.

We uncover the NGOs and partner groups of the FCTC that muddy the conference and aim to disparage anyone who dares ask a question or introduce some nuance.

Featuring an interview with investigative journalist and congressional candidate Drew Johnson (@DrewForNevada), who has some experience in getting kicked out of multiple FCTC conferences over the years and has decided to run for Congress to push for government transparency and accountability.

Act 1: Experts

Act 2: The illusion of consensus

Act 3: False prophets

Released on February 7, 2024.

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More resources of the Fun Police campaign: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/fun-police/

Check out the weekly podcast ConsEUmer: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/conseumer/

Check out Consumer Choice Podcast (formerly Consumer Choice Radio): https://consumerchoicecenter.org/radio/

Fun Police is a Consumer Choice Center original podcast.

This episode was written and researched by Yaël Ossowski (@YaelOss). Editing by Yaël Ossowski and Bill Wirtz (@wirtzbill).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a few last things to say, a few questions to ask. We'd love to have asked those questions to the Neo-prohibitionists themselves, but they were not ready to talk to us. What makes us as a society realise the detrimental effects of prohibition? Is it really something we have to try over and over again?

There's more to say, but for this conclusion we only have ten minutes.

Who knows, maybe there will be more in the future.

Released on December 13, 2023

More resources of the Fun Police campaign: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/fun-police/

Check out the weekly podcast ConsEUmer: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/conseumer/

Check out Consumer Choice Podcast (formerly Consumer Choice Radio): https://consumerchoicecenter.org/radio/

Fun Police is a Consumer Choice Center original podcast. This episode was written and researched by Bill Wirtz. Editing by Yaël Ossowski and Bill Wirtz.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season of the Fun Police podcast, we are looking at the role of international institutions in the propagation of misinformation and how prohibitionists are using them to further their goals. 

In this first episode: the World Health Organisation, and its role in global health policy.

Act 1: WHO got it wrong

Act 2: Negative impacts

Act 3: WHO cares

Released on January 31, 2024.

More resources of the Fun Police campaign: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/fun-police/

Check out the weekly podcast ConsEUmer: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/conseumer/

Check out Consumer Choice Podcast (formerly Consumer Choice Radio): https://consumerchoicecenter.org/radio/

Fun Police is a Consumer Choice Center original podcast. This episode was written and researched by Bill Wirtz. Editing by Yaël Ossowski and Bill Wirtz.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The trailer for the second season of Fun Police will be released on January 17. Stay subscribed to this channel and hit the notification bell so you never miss any of the upcoming episodes being released. 

Thank you for all the positive feedback on season 1. Check out the other work we're doing in the Fun Police campaign at: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/fun-police/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this season finale, Movendi International makes a comeback. UNODC and Movendi collaborate on global health policy, and it's all a bit odd. Also, we talk to an infant feeding expert who leads us down the path of the WHO's weird obsession with infant formula. 

Act 1: Listen first

Act 2: Magic formula

Act 3: Conclusion

Released on January 21, 2024.

More resources of the Fun Police campaign: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/fun-police/

Check out the weekly podcast ConsEUmer: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/conseumer/

Check out Consumer Choice Podcast (formerly Consumer Choice Radio): https://consumerchoicecenter.org/radio/

Fun Police is a Consumer Choice Center original podcast. This episode was written and researched by Bill Wirtz. Editing by Yaël Ossowski and Bill Wirtz.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.