Chance to reduce smoking is being missed

I have to agree with recent correspondents to The Times letters pages in respect of the lack of enforcement of Malta's no smoking laws.

I recently visited a busy bar in Paceville and there was total disregard by management and staff towards enforcing this law.

The layout of this club would make it very easy to do so as it has one enclosed section and one open-air section, yet people are allowed to smoke in both. It isn't an issue of not having the staff to enforce it. Last week a girl brought a piece of pizza into the club and within five minutes a security man had confronted her and told her to go outside to eat it, although people around her were smoking. The club was willing to enforce a club rule but not enforce the law.

Yes they do have notices up that say no smoking but this seems to be just a cynical tactic to offer the club some legal protection.

Something must be done. Non-smokers don't want to suffer the disgusting smell and health risks inflicted on us by these inconsiderate and selfish smokers with the seeming support of far too many bar and club owners.

Some suggestions: Firstly, the government should issue new nosmoking notices to all premises and make it a legal requirement to display them. These notices need to clearly display the fines that will be imposed on smokers if caught. Secondly, the police need to impose some big fines on these places. A few fines of, say, €5000 would soon ensure all premises start to enforce this law.

While the police are at it can they also prosecute some of the many small shops in Paceville and other areas that sell single cigarettes. This must be against the law as they have no health warning. This is a practice that is targeted at young smokers with shop owners making a quick profit from encouraging them to start a lifetime of addiction to tobacco with the inevitable consequences of a shortened life and ill health.

When the smoking ban was introduced in the UK it was both respected and very importantly enforced by the police and government. In Malta the authorities don't seem to want to ensure the success of this ban.

Malta is missing a fantastic opportunity to encourage thousands of smokers to have a new reason to quit and instead is giving them reasons to continue smoking and so playing its part in sentencing many of them to an early grave.