Sir, – While not wishing to spoil the party (Fianna Fáil that is), or detract from the claimed benefits of Ireland’s prohibition of smoking in pubs 10 years ago, it should be pointed out that Ireland was not, in fact, the “first country in the world” to introduce a national ban.
That distinction rests with the Taliban government in Afghanistan, which introduced more than a restriction – in fact a total ban – on smoking in 1996. This extreme measure was enacted through 2,500 enforcers, operating under the supervision of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Elimination of Vice and punishments included public beatings, applied with long staves. There is every indication that, under the current Karzai regime this department will be reconstituted, and that this measure will have alarming consequences for the freedom of citizens, and especially women. Yours, etc,
BART O’BRIEN,
Strand Road,
Sutton
Dublin 13