Not just smoke

The prospect of a complete ban on smoking in public places has prompted some passionate reactions from both smokers and non-smokers. According to Pete Robinson, a well known writer, Germans have every reason to ridicule relevant British legislation, as their system is far more sensible. He quotes Christian Wulff, the prime minister of Lower Saxony: “Rules must be enforced in places which people need to visit, but consent is needed where people go voluntarily”. Robinson also reminds us that it was Adolf Hitler who first succeeded in enforcing a complete ban on smoking in public places.