I write in response to M Revell's letter regarding 'smokers' freedom'.

I too am a non smoker and I fully agree with the Government's decision to make public houses no smoking.

Regarding the freedom of smokers to be able to smoke where they want, what happened to the freedom of non smokers who do not want to breathe in second-hand smoke?

M Revell's excuse is that people need to unwind after a long hard day at work, but surely this can just as easily be fixed with a pint or two?

I currently work in a pub in York and the customers are not allowed to smoke at the bar. To some extent ,this does help with me not having to breathe in their smoke but it would be a much more pleasant environment if there was no one smoking.

It is not too much to ask that people don't smoke in public houses. It has been suggested that they can smoke outside and if it's raining maybe this will encourage them to give up?

Many of my friends are smokers yet they still fully agree with the ban.

The Government may be said to be taking away social pleasures from smokers as suggested by M Revell, but it is doing a good job to increase the social pleasures of non smokers.

K Pearson,

Almsford Drive,

York.

Updated: 09:56 Monday, April 17, 2006