Madam, - David R Neary (August 23rd) argues that the subject of debate on the meaning of the term "adult" was sex toys and not pornography. The debate as I recall was about so-called "adult" shops and what "adult" might mean in this context.
If anyone stretched the debate it was the previous contributor who attempted to pass off the range of materials available in such shops and the global sex industry that they are a part of, as merely harmless sex toys which only puritans could object to.
It has little if any bearing on the question of whether pornography is harmful or not that women are themselves consumers.
In addition, the fact that people feel they take pleasure from pornography does nothing to render it harmless. History is littered with people taking pleasure from, or regardless of, others' misery, degradation or pain. - Is mise,
CLÍONA SAIDLÉAR, Galway.