21st century bootleggers and baptists

From Australia, a classic case of moral entrepreneurs getting into bed with real entrepreneurs. The puritans want to make buying cigarettes an embarrassing inconvenience while the sex industry wants a monopoly on selling cigarettes, and so...

Adult industry lobby group the Eros Association and the Australian Sex Party want tobacconists and other cigarette sale points to become adults only premises.

The idea is supported by the Cancer Council and Quit Victoria, who say the suggestion warrants consideration, along with other restrictions on tobacco sales.

This is such an unimprovable example of the bootlegger and baptist problem that economics teachers should use it to teach students about rent-seeking.

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