SIR: The letter from Martin Ball, Information Officer for the pro-smoking group, Forest, (May 25), concluded by saying, "millions of smokers and non-smokers get along peacefully, side by side." I would beg to differ.

Most non-smokers find smoking anti-social and offensive, even though they may tolerate their colleagues', friends' and partners' smoking habits. Smoking is anti-social and offensive. It makes some public places no-go areas for people with chest or heart problems, or for anyone not wanting to sit in an atmosphere that the law wouldn't allow them to work in. And, how many times have you had your clothes ruined by unthinking smokers, in crowded places such as Bolton Market, or in a crowded pub? Mr Ball, when non-smokers say, "provision should be made for smokers," they are in fact saying, "find these people somewhere to smoke, well away from us."

Not only is smoking offensive, it is also heartbreaking. Especially seeing loved ones killing themselves through an addiction, harder to break than heroin, and perpetrated, in my opinion, by groups such as Forest and people such as Martin Ball, on the pretext of protecting people's rights.

Brian Derbyshire,

Ribchester Grove, Bolton.

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