Bans' is a term used to describe laws or regulations that prohibit certain activities. It is often used in the context of government regulations, such as BANS on smoking in public places or BANS on certain types of weapons. The phrase 'some last a lifetime' implies that some BANS are permanent and cannot be changed or repealed. This could refer to laws that are written into a country's constitution, or to laws that are so deeply entrenched in society that they are unlikely to ever be changed.