In this issue:

Bank fees a diversion from real consumer interests
Mark Milke
Governments should focus on bigger issues for consumers than limiting withdrawal fees at ATMs.

The Video Gallery—Taxes: A Canadian family’s biggest expense
Watch how commonly overlooked taxes converge to become a family’s biggest expense.

The economics of smoking
Pierre Lemieux
A discussion on the costs of smoking, and the arguments for and against its regulation.

The Quote Wall
Thomas Sowell on greed.

Government meddling to combat obesity unfair and ineffective
Nadeem Esmail
Are obesity rates growing as fast we are led to believe, and, if so, is government intervention the solution?

The Book Corner
Joshua Hall
Homer Economicus: The Simpsons and Economics.

False arguments fuel government assistance to Canada’s entertainment industry
Steven Globerman
Looking at the regulation of—and support from the Canadian government to—Canada’s entertainment sector.

From the Archives
Donald Boudreaux
Trade: The benefits of free markets

Hot Topics
What’s new from the Institute: First Nations democracy, and economic freedom and the environment.