I think that gum example actually illustrates how slowly our gov (actually most govs) moves. According to this nlb article, the problem was raised in 1983, the ban came into effect 1992. 9 years. I'm sure in that time they did their fair share of public education, which must have failed. At that same pace, it'll be 2026 before we get a solid response from the authorities.
Another one I can think of is airbnb. They launched here around 2012, only this year in 2017 did we see new laws being passed in relation to it, and the first people being charged, after how many neighbours and estates have been inconvenienced and disrupted, after rounds and rounds of consultation, after how many people have gotten away with it... So that took about 5 years. I suppose you could say they have improved their response :bsmilie:
But it certainly will always lag behind the pace of innovation/tech, so we just have to grit our teeth while it gets sorted out, eventually. All we can do is feedback. Beyond that, not sure what else we can do since we aren't policymakers.