IN his letter headlined "Smokers suffer the jeers of the self-righteous," (Irish Examiner, July 24) smoker John Mallon asks for, "understanding and compromise."

REGARDING the letter entitled “Anti-smoking lobby using phoney science” (Irish Examiner, June 26), the only people using “phoney science” and working to undermine smoke-free air are the tobacco people.

THERE’S one problem with the letter entitled ‘New York sports and suburban bars decimated by smoking ban’ (Irish Examiner, March 31). It’s not true.

HOW sad that the smoking ban has been delayed. One can only wonder how many injuries and lives could have been saved by implementing the ban as scheduled.

IN your article “Tobacco firms’ staff fear smoking ban threatens jobs” (Irish Examiner, September 29) a tobacco industry spokesperson claimed: “We’re involved in manufacturing and selling a legal product.”

HURRICANE ISABEL was able to shut down the federal government and the DC Metro system before it even made landfall yesterday afternoon, but the region’s telephone and internet providers had already dialled up their emergency reserves to weather out the storm.

I REFER to your recent article entitled ‘Smoking ban will extinguish jobs’.