Madam, - Coming from Arizona, I've enjoyed my vacations in your beautiful country.
It has been a wonderful change of culture and climate.
It is very sad that a great portion of the world's adult population who smoke have now been told by your Government that we are no longer welcome in Ireland.
I would not enjoy visiting a country that has labelled me a second-class person.
Here in the States, where it has been put on the ballot, the voters are rejecting the claims of our health bigots.
A recent example would be Denver, Colorado.
They are beginning to realise that the passive smoke myth does not call for draconian government measures that destroy businesses.
This is essentially a public nuisance which is easily solved by separate sections.
I will continue to watch the news and hopefully your Government will allow us to return some day. - Yours, etc.,
DAVID L. PRIDDY, N. Arroya Street, Mesa, Arizona, USA.
Madam, - Aidan O'Carroll's response to my letter (April 8th) is factually incorrect.
Mr Cliff Beirne, maxillo-facial consultant at St James's, in his letter of Tuesday April 6th, did not state that the fractures which he treated on Monday April 5th were in fact related to the smoking ban.
He merely stated, inter alia, that the injuries were sustained whist the victims were smoking outside a pub.
I would respectfully suggest that the most likely genesis of these injuries relates to alcohol intoxication and abuse rather than precise location of the incidents outside a pub.
Having spent a considerable number of years in clinical nursing practice, I have never seen physical violence emanating from nicotine-related incidents but alas, far too much from the irresponsible abuse of alcohol - Yours etc.,
PATRICK J. O'BRIEN, M.Ed., Moyglare Village, Maynooth, Co Kildare.