MARCH 29, 2004, was, by any measure, a momentous day for Irish society, when the country’s most radical social experiment forced hundreds of thousands of people to take to the street.

PAT BROSNAN (Irish Examiner, August 15) suggests that most people, including > many non-smokers, do not want an outright ban on smoking from January 1. In fact, the last survey to be carried out on this topic showed that most people supported the proposal, including four out of every ten smokers (TNS/MRBI survey published last month showed that 67% support the proposed ban in pubs and restaurants. Support among smokers was 40%).