It is well established that smoking affects an individual’s health, causing painful chronic illnesses such as lung cancer and emphysema. However, there are still an estimated 10 million smokers in Britain. What motivates people to start smoking? Should they be encouraged to quit? Is it acceptable for the government to prohibit smoking in public places to limit the effect of passive smoking, or is this an example of the “nanny state”? This book looks at the issues.

The information comes from a wide range of sources and includes government reports and statistics, newspaper reports, features, magazine articles and surveys, literature from lobby groups and charitable organisations