JOHN WHEELER,
Madam, - We hear that the Minister for Health in his ineffable wisdom is now considering banning smoking in all restaurants and in pubs which "serve food". And all this can be achieved by a stroke of the Ministerial pen, not by determination of our elected representatives. This is not democracy, it is rule by fiat, plain dictatorship.
Enough! It is not the function of the legislature to interfere to such an extent that every aspect of our lives has to be determined for us. Why not let the market decide? We can chose a restaurant on the basis of the menu displayed outside; we can chose a pub on the basis of its ambience. Why not allow these establishments to decide for themselves whether or not they wish to become "smoke-free" places? I am told we have gay bars; why not smoke bars? As a smoker, I have entered some pubs so thick with smoke fug that I have simply walked out, as can anyone else. Same with a restaurant. If you do not want to patronise one that has a smoking section, go elsewhere.
The Minister and his anti-smoking supporters seem to forget that we smokers, through our tobacco taxes, have contributed more than enough over the years to build and maintain the best motorway and primary roads network in Europe. Also, if his "facts" are to be believed, we are going to draw our State pensions for a much shorter period than non-smokers. Given the state of the nation's finances, collecting more in tobacco taxes and reducing the pensions outlay should be encouraged.
The Minister should realise that there are enough members of this endangered species in every single constituency to influence the outcome of any election. - Yours, etc.,
JOHN WHEELER, Ballyogan Drive, Dublin 18.