Quote: "Scarborough Council's head of environmental services Andy Skelton said although the ban had been introduced by the national government rather than the authority, as head of the body that enforces it he was in favour of the law."

Naturally Mr Skelton is in favour of the ban, most non-smokers are.

How can licensees afford to flout this punitive law when magistrates are so biased toward environmental health officers – even licensees absent from their pub have been fined for "allowing smoking" on their premises!

Quote: "The key issue with the introduction of the smoking ban was the protection of the health of the people who work in places where smoking was allowed, who were definitely at risk from smoke," he said.

The questions here are quite simple. Can Mr Skelton name at least one person who died as a result of second-hand smoke? Can he find one study that proves, categorically, that second-hand smoke is a killer? Can he name one barworker who has dropped dead, behind the bar, while serving customers?

As an environmental health officer who doesn't smoke, Mr Skelton has embraced every bit of "spin" and fabrication this government has churned out. Perhaps if Mr Skelton perused the Enstrom/Kabat report (it was only a mere 38-year study!) and also the Wu/Williams study he would be at a loss to explain why he has actually gained employment within this sphere?

If smoking is eradicated altogether, and £10-12 billion in revenue is lost, will Mr Skelton be happy paying 40-50 per cent more income tax to make up for that massive loss? I doubt it.

When businesses fold like a pack of cards, unemployment rockets, bankruptcies rise and Pubco shares plummet (Punch Taverns 1235p-137p in 15 months), how can the blanket smoking ban be a raging success?

This government, and its myriad of created employees, cannot say otherwise else they would be stating the truth; the ban is a social disaster and the enforcers would be jobless without it – a bit like the ex-licensees now on the dole.

Phil Johnson

freedom2choose.info

Windley Road

Leicester