This article is a response to the Government's announced intention, as part of its anti-drug package, to introduce legislation which would entitle Housing Authorities to seek exclusion orders against specific individuals for anti-social behaviour. It also indicated its intention to speed up the eviction process against drug dealers residing in local authority estates. The author argues that a response which involves severe sanctions should apply equally to all citizens and not selectively and discriminately on the basis of housing tenure. The offences which will be punished by sanctions applied by local authorities are properly matters to be dealt with by public law.