[Angus]

I gave up smoking over 20 years ago because my son was asthmatic, and I was diagnosed with asthma myself 6 years ago. However, I think it should be an individual's personal choice to smoke so long as they do not pollute the airspace of another person. Therefore it is right and proper that there should be public no smoking areas, so long as smoking areas are also provided. No-one is allowed to smoke in my home, simply because I am asthmatic and the smoke triggers off an attack. I would expect smokers to respect the fact that non smokers find their smoke invasive and potentially harmful. That doesn't mean I would welcome or support a blanket ban.

It is hypocritical for the anti smoking brigade to bang on about how much smokers cost the NHS in view of the fact that the amount of duty they pay on tobacco and cigarettes is probably what is funding it in the first place!