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The BBC today reported that the 'open display of tobacco in shops is to be banned in England and Wales'. Another move in tackling the number of people that are harming their own health and that of others around them by smoking.

I welcomed the earlier smoking ban with open arms. I love the fact I can now go in to a bar and breath. I can open my eyes without them stinging and when I go home my clothes don't stink of smoke. Overall, I love the fact that I don't get second hand smoke harming me because someone else wants to risk their own health and not give a damn about anyone else around them. However I am not sure how I feel about this next move.

The way I see it is the ban on smoking in certain places has made it easier to avoid those who choose to smoke. I don't choose to smoke and I'm happy they can't smoke near me, however I am not sure we should remove their choice to smoke if they observe the law and don't do it where they aren't supposed to. This next move is perhaps a little too far? It's moving more towards removing those who choose to smoke's right to choose that.

If people can't smoke near us non-smokers then why stop them smoking? If they are happy to do so let them. I appreciate it's not quite got that far yet, but removing these items from the open display sale seems to me to be heading that way. After all, I don't wish to alienate someone for their choice to smoke, just ensure that those who don't want to smoke don't have to suffer it. I am not sure this next step is needed.

Even if you remove cigarettes from open view sale you will still get younger people buying and smoking them. Until the day it becomes 'uncool' or 'geeky' to smoke you'll always get those 'rebels' smoking at a young age and hooked before they get to an age where they realise what's happening.

And if we do stop or damage cigarette sales are we damaging our economy? Like it or not, a lot of revenue for the public purse comes from those little stinky sticks of doom. Where will we look to get that revenue back? And in the current financial situation is it a good move?

I think we should perhaps leave the current state as it is. The ban is sufficient and if people want to smoke let them. They can harm themselves as long as they leave us non-smokers alone. It's their lives, their choice.