Smokers pay a very heavy price

Despite all the advertisements about the dangers of smoking, there appear to be as many people as ever indulging in the unhealthy habit.

I recently did a little bit of simple arithmetic and came to the conclusion that smoking 20 cigarettes a day costs around €3,000 per year.

It is said that former ‘puffers’ can be the worst when it comes to criticising smokers but, speaking as one who is more than 30 years off them, I find the practice quite disgusting.

I know it can be difficult to give them up and this person holds amusing memories of throwing a packet in the river while out walking the dog in an attempt to kick the habit, only to return to the town to buy 20 more.

Perhaps being a non-smoker for so long makes me aware of how irresponsible some smokers are. Just walk through the streets of any town and observe the number of butts on the ground. Such litter louts don’t seem to realise that there are bins there for their convenience.

Smoking has become anti-social over the last few years.

It has been 14 years since the banning of the custom in indoor places in Ireland .

This is not meant as a political address, but a lot of people are indebted to Micheál Martin for the initiative of over a decade ago.

To borrow an oft-used catchphrase: a lot has been done, but more needs to be done.

One feels that the efforts to get more people off the fags should be more intense by the health authorities and maybe some serious publicising of the amounts of money being wasted by smokers could be well worthwhile.

It is sad to see so many young people, especially females, indulging in the habit. Bill McMahon Navan, Co Meath