Dear Editor,

                I wish to respond to your comments in regards smoking in pubs.

We are all aware over the last few years that there has been growing feelings over smoking in public places, which of course includes public houses.

 This has been underlined by recent ‘banning’ of smoking in part in such liberal counties as the U.S.A, Canada and more recently Ireland.

 The statistics have also pointed to a large drop in smokers in the U.K. which I believes points to the percent of smokers in the U.K. is now down to 27%

 However as many non-smokers of us know to enforcing any voluntary ban by creating non-smoking areas is quite hard to police. Should non-smokers have to pay a contribution to the potential costs of having to have additional staff to police non-smoking areas, as well resources for additional cleaning of all areas, as well as the ashtrays?

So how can we go forward on this? If I can be brave and mention the word Wetherspoons I hope I won’t scare too may people away. In an article published in April by its Chairman, Tim Martin he vindicated a national smoking ban in all licensed premises. Before smokers start quaking in their boots, let me repeat my Mr Martin has suggested such a ban.

 He says his company has invested over £60m in 12 months in measures to separate the well-defined smoking and non-smoking areas in his premises. However with 75% of the population being non-smokers it is increasing hard to separate such areas, particularly at such a cost, which clearly both non and smokers are having to pay for. Mr Martin states that only a national ban would work, he says it is no good having each local authority (L.A.) creating a total ban, he feels this would just drive smokers to another L.A. area.

 It is certainly an interesting viewpoint that I feel is worthy of debate. I would just like to further add that at the recent Banbury beer festival it was decided to have the main hall as no smoking, which seemed to worked very well. Smokers were asked to go outside or the upstairs lounge. During the daytime were the weather was quite reasonable during the daytime, the few smokers were mainly outside and not in the lounge, which for me seems to indicate they would prefer this, than create a smoke filled room