Smoking and air pollution

It is probably not worth responding to the familiar hysteria brought up by Piero Ronci in this paper (Feb. 7, 1997). It is his right to believe the usual ignorant self-denial that smoking is not addictive. And it is a pitiful defense to compare famine and smoking-related diseases.

He knows darn well Dr. Harun's point as do all of us. If he is so concerned about his freedom to smoke and, oddly, breathe in air pollution at the same time, logically he should also be aware by now that the "puffing" habit that he and other enslaved smokers share violates other people's freedom to not smoke and is just as bad as other kinds of air pollution. Provided he and all other smokers confine themselves to their private quarters to breathe in the poisonous smoke, us nonsmokers will not complain.

RAHAYU RATNANINGSIH

Jakarta

Note: This should be the last letter on the discussion of smoking related diseases and pollution.

-- Editor