Naomi...I am a libertarian myself but you don't give freedom to one small group of people, by taking it away from a larger group. It only takes a few smokers to ruin it for the majority who don't smoke. This "stripping away of individual freedoms" issue was brought up a few years ago, when people were discussing smoking in Pubs, but people still go to Pubs and I repeat, the sky has yet to fall in. The smokers either stand outside or go to a "smoking shelter"
A friend has just come back from Lanzarote, with all the family, including a one year old baby. This was the babies first experience of a beach, but their enjoyment was ruined by hundreds of cigarette butts ground out in the sand, as he kept picking them up. After a couple of hours, they admitted defeat and went back to their hotel. My friend also said that he sees many more smokers abroad these days, then he now sees in Britain.
Here are some stats on smoking rates in Britain ::
"As recently as 1979, some 45% of the British population smoked, but this was down to 30% by the early 1990s, 21% by 2010, and 19.3% by 2013, the lowest level for 80 years. An annual No Smoking Day has occurred in March since 1984"
Proof that good public health campaigns work