Madam, - Philip Donnelly (July 14th) misses a major point in his diatribe against Mr Micheál Martin's brave decision to outlaw smoking in pubs. The risk of ambient smoke is the issue behind the legislation, but there is also another major issue - the rights of the non-smoker.
As a non-smoker, I feel I should be able to go to enjoy a quiet pint in a local pub with a few friends without having to breathe in second-hand smoke from other patrons. I invariably end up smelling like an ashtray by the time I leave.
I don't honestly care whether there is a health risk to passive smoking or not. The fact is that breathing in second-hand smoke, for most non-smokers, is unpleasant and unnecessary. - Yours, etc.,
RICHARD BANNISTER, Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2.