Smoking ban effects

I refer to my old friend Frans Camilleri's column, titled Stop Over-Eating Or Smoking Right Now! (February 15).

Purely for the record, I would like to point out that I have never extolled the virtues of smoking or inhaling tobacco smoke. A less perceptive commentator than I know Mr Camilleri to be would make the basic error of failing to differentiate between my representing the tobacco industry and promoting the act of smoking, but I am surprised he also fell into it.

While on the subject of tobacco, the piece on the back page of the same issue was interesting in that the real reason behind the smoking in public places ban has come to light. Clearly, from the triumphalist tone reported, the intention was to bring down tobacco consumption and the protection of non-smoking third parties was simply a convenient excuse. I have nothing against the Department of Health officers seeking to achieve a reduction in direct smoking but it would have been more transparent had the tactics used been made known to all.

Of course, whether the perceived reduction in consumption is real and not simply representative of a reduction in government revenue from tax on tobacco products and whether the said perceived reduction in consumption was motivated by the indoor-smoking ban or by the tax-driven price hike, are questions which may never be answered.