I WOULD be suspicious of any survey organised by AIR, which your article pointed out is an organisation is partly-funded by the tobacco industry (November 2).

Also, I would rather that a smoking survey was launched somewhere a bit less partisan than the Golden Slipper.

I visited the pub on a Friday night a couple of weeks ago and found that the regulars clustered around the bar were merrily smoking away, despite a sign above the bar requesting that punters did not smoke in that area "in consideration to the staff working there".

Additionally, there was a survey lying on the bar requesting that customers sign up to "freedom of choice" regarding smoking in pubs (but no mention of freedom of choice regarding breathing clean air)

Licensee Anita Adams advocates that any smoking ban should be on a voluntary basis.

I assume that the Golden Slipper will be not volunteering to adopt such a ban!

Within the few pubs that do provide smoke-free areas, the no smoking rooms invariably tend to be the most unattractive/poky/tatty.

Could I suggest that pubs consider reversing this policy?

Most of the rooms should be smoke-free, and the current no smoking areas be reserved for the smokers.

Moreover, smoking areas should be equipped with air filters that function effectively.

If they were, that would go some way to alleviate the unpleasantness of ending up with clothes and hair that reek of smoke.

Alison Reboul,

Victor Street,

Bishophill,

York.

Updated: 10:04 Friday, November 05, 2004