i buy my tobacco in Belgium. Perhaps more are going abroad, especially in the summer.

Charles, Stowmarket, England

Not so fast....I am sure some people did in fact quit. I am also sure social smokers might have downsized consumption, however, it has been the experience of New York City, people often stay home or smoke less, yes, but they will continue to smoke. Others will purchase tobacco and roll thier own smokes at home. The lifestyle adjustment is the biggest factor, in "decreased" consumption. Also, legal cigarette sales are down. There will now be a rise in illeagal activity, and that will only increase as the price , due to increased taxes, goes up.

Lee Bash, Orange City, Florida U.S.A.

Colin
I suggest you stop looking at the ground and look at your newspapers and parliamentry reports.

Charles, Stowmarket, England

Amazing how this same spin was put on Ireland and yet the Office of Tobacco Controls 2007 figures show, young persons smoking up by 16% in the last twelve months. Gallaghers profits in Ireland have quadrupled. Hardly a sign of declining sales.

Robert Feal-martinez, Swindon, England

This has to be really good news , for us .
But increasingly I find myself thinking about all those African countries involved in growing Tobacco.
The growing of it & main export from Malawi, I think , is Tobacco.
Has anyone started to think about an alternative crop for them, or has someone found a new use for these leaves ?
Apart from snuff , cigars & cigarettes I cannot think what else they are used for , can anyone tell me ?

Maggie Millington, Brittany , France

Smokers' consuming less cigarettes does, in a way, equate to less smokers in the long run. The fact that smokers are currently smoking less is a form of habit withdrawal. Logically speaking, if cigarette consumption falls, nicotine levels in smokers would naturally follow suit. Overtime, assuming cigarette consumption continues to decrease, the nicotine level would gradually clear from the body's system. And theoretically, when that happens, the urge to smoke would dissipate as well, hence, producing a non-smoker.

Phoon, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Initially, it may seem like an ideal resolution to curb this predicament, that is, to have two kinds of pubs: smoking and non-smoking ones. But in practice, this could be the reason where social segregation between smokers and non-smokers occur.

For instance, imagine a non-smoker only being able to visit a non-smoking pub, and vice-versa for the smoker. Are we not divided enough through race and religion? Is this two-type pub concept really necessary?

But again, the argument remains that, why must non-smokers socialize with smokers at the expense of the non-smokers' health? It would be nice not to incur lung cancer and the like for socializing with a smoker.

Phoon, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I wonder who will pay for the ever increasing shortfall in cigarette tax revenues?

R.B., Leicester,

The reason cigarette sales have fallen is because people are smoking less when out, because of the restrictions but i donot believe there are less smokers Ash likes to think there are. These anti smoking do gooders must have some vices if not they must be very boring people to live such a clean life. I am sick to death of these anti smoking do gooders trying to dictate to everyone what we should do and not to do. They wont be happy until a lot of people lose there jobs and livelyhoods due to this ban.It is about time we smokers were given our own venues then they have no reason to complain because thats all they do do is complain .

pat, herts, britain

This is as credible as the statistics about passive smoking

kevin atkinson, london,

Hypnotherapy works really well, but do try your local ones first and be aware of any money back guarentees.

Tim, Bury St Edmunds,

Rich - can you provide a reference for your claim that 1200 pubs closed in Ireland following the smoking ban. I can find no such evidence on the ground here.

Colin, Co Meath, Ireland

Great! Now ban junk food and drink from schools and watch how their sales drop.

L Yanovic, Reading, UK

The reason for cigarette sales are dropping, is because smokers are smoking less, not less smokers.
The anti-smokers want the cost of smokes to go up because they want their salaries guaranteed.

Thomas Laprade, Thunder Bay, Ont. Canada

If I am anything like a typical smoker, then possibly the reason for the fall in sales is because people like me will not pay through the nose in duty to a government who imposed this draconian legislation. Solution - I went to France and bought 6 months supply there. When I am allowed to smoke my legal product in places such as pubs then I will go back to buying it here.
I only have a grudge against the politicians and I am sorry that my local shop suffers as well. It is the same for me with pubs. I have not been in one since 1st July and for that, my local publican suffers. Result, pubs are already closing in England following the 1200 that closed in Ireland since their restrictions came in.
And ASH, please don't kid yourselves that smokers are giving up - we're not. And why have smoking rates increased in countries since they brought in bans?
The smoking restrictions are wrong, over the top & based on lies. The sensible solution would be to have smoking & non smoking pubs.

rich, surrey, uk