AS chairman of the Campaign for Real Ale, York branch, I am a familiar face in real ale outlets in York.

As a former smoker myself, personally I would love smoking to be banned outright and immediately.

However, I realise I would be selfish to try to enforce this on others who enjoy a cigarette. How would I like it if the Government wanted to ban real ale on health grounds?

The non-smoker can, for the most part, escape to a less smoky or even a non-smoking area, but in a busy pub I find it unacceptable for a drinker to have to wait in smoke haze to get served his or her drink.

On one memorable occasion in a busy pub, I had a new jacket ruined by a careless smoker sitting hogging the bar as she burnt a hole in my sleeve.

My suggestion is simple; smoking areas should be encouraged where possible but smoking should be banned from the bar area.

This would encourage smokers to get their drinks and disperse to a table to light up and would also protect the lungs of the bar staff and customers waiting to get served. Also, bar hogging would be reduced.

Smokers would argue that in a small pub this would make little difference as smoke drifts, however with good carbon filters or an extractor this can be avoided.

This policy has already been adopted by all Wetherspoon pubs and a few others including one or two traditional pubs such as the Swan at Clementhorpe, where the policy is an improvement and usually accepted well by the customers.

Jim Thompson,

Bad Bargain Lane, York.

Updated: 11:32 Monday, November 29, 2004