Smoking ban threatens property rights

The forthcoming smoking ban on July 1 is an appalling attack on personal freedom and private property. No one is forced to enter a pub and no one is forced to work there. A pub’s smoking policy should therefore be decided by the landlord or the owner, not the government. If there is a demand for non-smoking premises the market will provide. Already many restaurants have become non-smoking on an entirely voluntary basis. What will the nanny state do next – stop people smoking in their own homes?

4 December 2006, Metro