Christopher Keyes' "Letter to the Editor" published in the South China Morning Post on Feb 15, 2005 had an excellent argument for the planned ban on smoking in all restaurants in Hong Kong. I couldn't agree more with him.

Beware smoker's logic
Tuesday, February 15, 2005

To read letters criticising the plan to ban smoking in public places is to be overwhelmed by "smoker's logic". They all seem to argue, as in "After smoking, alcohol" (February 12), that the legislation is "less about smoking than a drive by professional campaigners to dictate all kinds of behaviour" and that the next steps are bans on alcohol, coffee and chocolate.

They seem oblivious to the distinction that someone indulging in these less-than-healthy products does not endanger the health, or affect at all, a person enjoying a meal at the next table. The government is not proposing to ban smoking but to ban irresponsible smoking. We have enacted traffic laws not to prevent people from driving but to prevent them from driving irresponsibly.

Let's face it, smoking is a disgusting habit that, done uncaringly, endangers others' health and ruins their enjoyment of a meal or drink. I know many smokers who are sensitive to this, which usually means stepping outside for a few moments. They are not the problem; it is the irresponsible smokers who are. It is time they realised that the legislation is less about them than their effect on others.

To help smokers bridge the gap between their behaviour and its effects, perhaps they could consider a situation where someone sets a boom box on a restaurant table and blares out music at levels that most find offensive and pose a threat to the hearing. If this were a common occurrence, would the government be out of line enacting legislation requiring them to use earphones?

CHRISTOPHER KEYES, Lantau