I LIVE in close to a school, and often see young mothers waiting to collect their children and it grieves me to observe that quite a number of them are smoking cigarettes.

I believe it would be safe to assume that they, and most likely their partners, also smoke in front of their children at home.

I can imagine that some will be saying that I am an interfering old busybody, and should mind my own business and allow people to live their lives as they think fit.

The other side of the coin is that I have been there and done what they are doing, and both my wife and I are very remorseful about what we done in the past.

We both started smoking in our early teens, we met, courted, got married and became parents to five children, and we also smoked in front of our children just like they are doing.

Our children grew up, got married, and we now have 10 grandchildren, who are grown up and eight of them also smoke.

So you will understand that we feel rather guilty about smoking in front of our children when they were young and impressionable.

To conclude if you must smoke please do not do so in front of your children and if they do catch you smoking please admit that you are a drug addict and can not manage without your fix of nicotine.

PS. Definition of nicotine -- A poisonous alkaloid found in tobacco.

Frank McGilligan

Willows Lane

Bolton