Madam, - I note with interest, but not surprise, recent comments from different tobacco industry representatives. They persist in promoting the discredited notion that environmental tobacco smoke is innocuous.
The Irish Heart Foundation, among other impartial, independent, health-promoting organisations, accepts the scientific evidence that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is harmful. This evidence has been endorsed by all major independent scientific bodies which have considered the question.
As an example, last year the International Agency for Cancer Research of the World Health Organisation declared that passive smoke was a known human carcinogen. On foot of this it recognised environmental tobacco smoke as being equivalent to asbestos exposure and declared it to be a Category 1 carcinogen.
Exposure to asbestos has been banned for some time because of its harmful effects. Indeed many claims for damage caused by asbestos have been upheld by the courts and substantial damages have been awarded against employers, builders and others.
We urge our legislators to support the Minister for Health and Children in introducing his proposed legislation without dilution or compromise. - Yours, etc.,
Dr BRIAN MAURER, President, Irish Heart Foundation, Clyde Road, Dublin 4.
Madam, - I was interested to read the claims from the Vintners' Federation of Ireland and the Licensed Vintners Association of the potential €190 million cost to the Exchequer of the coming ban on smoking in pubs.
Little reference is made to another issue that must concern these parties - namely the fall in their members' profits.
Over the past few years we have witnessed an increase in the number of "super pubs" in the capital and an exponential increase in the price of a pint in most city centre and suburban pubs.
We should welcome any measure that curb these superpubs' super-normal profits. - Yours, etc.,
DAVID HYLAND, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.
Madam, - To all those worried about their drinks being stolen, or about getting wet, or cold, or sunburnt, or beaten up in the street while smoking outside the pub - or about any of the countless other pathetic imaginary fears I have read about over the past few months - I say (all together now, nice and loud):
GIVE UP YER OUL' CIGS. - Yours, etc.,
Dr JOE M. O'SULLIVAN, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Oncology, Royal Marsden Hospital, London.