Spanish tapas are said to have been invented in the 13th century when the Spanish king Alfonso X The Wise required that all bars serve a plate of cold cuts along with every glass of wine. (The word “tapas” means “covers” as in a small plate of food which covers the glass of alcohol with which it is consumed.)
Alfonso’s alleged goal was public health: preventing the over-intoxication of workers who might otherwise go drinking on an empty stomach – and/or preventing insects from entering cups, etc. In other words, the evolution of one of the world’s best foods (cf. El Bulli) might be traced back to a law which regulates the consumption of drugs. (i.e., Alfonsocare.)
Whether apocryphal or not, the fact that this story endures suggests it has resonated for many generations of Spaniards. That the story is older than the Council of Trent makes it not unlike religious teachings: it is true enough.
In Spain, at least, laws that regulate commerce have fostered innovation and improved public health. Libertarians are right to point out the idiocy of laws that impede innovation in the marketplace. But they’re foolish to insist that all laws do so.