New bill on smoking

I must comment on your report on the new bill on smoking. The title "New bill to raise age limit for smoking from 16 to 18" effectively means that it will be illegal for under-18s to smoke.

Is this the real reason for the bill? Did you really mean that the sale of cigarettes will be banned to those who are not yet 18? The latter seems to be the more reasonable conclusion.

With regard to the introduction of no smoking areas in restaurants and public areas, there is no doubt that this is a step in the right direction.

Will band and football clubs and bars also have areas reserved for non-smokers?

Surely the minister of health knows that there are far too many places where people congregate and smoke which are not properly ventilated or do not have adequate smoke extractors. One hopes that these will be included in the bill.

Naturally it is expected that enforcement will follow. So far smoking is banned on public transport, in hospitals and cinemas but in reality how many people are prosecuted for breaking the law? Spending days discussing a long-awaited and oft-delayed measure and failing to implement sanctions will make any efforts to curb smoking meaningless.