▁psych iat rist ▁patients ▁and ▁a ▁nur se ▁took ▁their ▁local ▁district ▁health ▁board ▁to ▁court , ▁arg uing ▁a ▁sm oking ▁ban ▁at ▁int ensive ▁care ▁units ▁viol ated ▁" human ▁dign ity " ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁there ▁for ▁mental ▁health ▁reasons , ▁not ▁sm oking - related ▁ill ness . ▁They ▁argued ▁it ▁was ▁" c ru el " ▁to ▁den y ▁patients ▁c igare tt es . ▁ ▁Property ▁rights ▁ ▁Some ▁critics ▁of ▁smoke - free ▁laws ▁emphas ise ▁the ▁property ▁rights ▁of ▁business ▁own ers , ▁drawing ▁a ▁distinction ▁between ▁nomin ally ▁public ▁places ▁( such ▁as ▁government ▁buildings ) ▁and ▁priv ately ▁owned ▁establish ments ▁( such ▁as ▁bars ▁and ▁restaur ants ). ▁C iting ▁economic ▁efficiency , ▁some ▁econom ists ▁suggest ▁that ▁the ▁basic ▁institutions ▁of ▁private ▁property ▁rights ▁and ▁contract ual ▁freedom ▁are ▁capable ▁of ▁resol ving ▁conflicts ▁between ▁the ▁prefer ences ▁of ▁sm ok ers ▁and ▁those ▁who ▁seek ▁a ▁smoke - free ▁environment , ▁without ▁government ▁intr usion . ▁ ▁Effect s ▁on ▁existing ▁smoke - free ▁business es ▁Many ▁critics , ▁including ▁a ▁substantial ▁number ▁of ▁those ▁who ▁opp ose ▁sm oking ▁b ans ▁on ▁property - right s ▁grounds , ▁note ▁that ▁where ▁no ▁private - est ab lish ment ▁sm oking ▁b ans ▁are ▁in ▁place , ▁a ▁subset ▁of ▁establish ments ▁are ▁able ▁to ▁set ▁themselves ▁apart ▁by ▁c ater ing ▁to ▁the ▁market ▁n iche ▁of ▁pat rons ▁who ▁prefer ▁smoke - free ▁establish ments . ▁Pro hib