ADRIAN BYRNE?,
Sir, - It is churlish of the Minister for Health, Mr Micheál Martin, to propose a ban on smoking in pubs, when the Government reaps a very large amount of tax income from the sale of cigarettes.
The fact is that the Government profits from the sale of an addictive drug which, as the Minister himself points out, is responsible for "7,000 deaths each year".
Surely it must follow, then, that the Minister will also propose a ban on the sale of cigarettes altogether, to prevent these deaths? - Yours etc.,
ADRIAN BYRNE,
Charlotte Quay Dock,
Rinsgend Road,
Dublin 4.
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Sir, - As a visitor to Ireland I was thrilled to hear of the proposed smoking ban in pubs. I'm a fan of Irish music and pubs are the best venue to enjoy the jigs and reels. Usually, though, the experience is marred by a cloying smoke that saturates the clothes with a foul odour and coats the lungs with a carcinogenic tar, often driving me out of the pub.
Here in California we banned smoking in bars several years ago, and it is such a pleasure to sip Guinness in a smoke-free environment. Before the ban took effect bar owners claimed it would put them out of business, but as it turns out, their fears were unfounded. - Yours, etc.,
DANIEL BACON,
Rhode Island Street ,
San Francisco,
USA.