Being forced to face these pictures before their first cigarette, potential smokers may have second thoughts. Thousands would be saved from the world's most popular drug.

Despite the government's efforts to keep smoking under control, the rising number of smokers is an issue all cities face. The government has taken another step in the attempt to remedy the situation.

It may be too late to save the smokers, but it will at least rescue countless innocents from the clutches of the cigarette.

Nicholas Chan, Ho Man Tin

The tobacco industry is right on the mark when it says the proposed tobacco-control legislation will affect its ability to market its products. If you were in Lan Kwai Fong last Friday evening and nipped into the corner shop to buy a candy bar, you would have found the following:

At the first register, in a sealed display, three elegant packs of cigarettes exactly at the eye height of teenagers paying for their candy bar;

At the other register, an eye-catching rotating display of cigarettes that are about a quarter the size of the average cigarette, just right for the entry-level eight-year-old market to share with 19 of their little friends; and

A packet of cigarettes in a display within easy reach of anyone, child, non-smoker or smoker-trying-to-quit alike, to pick up, fondle, smell and examine while waiting near the checkout counter. The cigarette pack's most prominent word: 'Strawberry'.

Any industry would be unhappy to have advertising of their addictive, recreational drugs curbed at such a high-traffic transport hub. After all, they need to market to that crucial 92 per cent of the population - children, those who have never smoked and those who are addicted and trying to quit but could be convinced to switch brands instead - perhaps to something innocently labelled 'Strawberry'.

Annelise Connell, Clear the Air

I am a tourist who recently visited Hong Kong for the first time. Every time I went into a roadside restaurant I was bombarded with poisonous second-hand cigarette smoke. I was appalled to see that Hong Kong has not yet legislated a smoking ban in restaurants.

I would assume that health awareness in a developed economy such as Hong Kong would be quite high, but apparently not. I wholeheartedly support the government's anti-smoking campaign. Even if smokers do not care whether they suffer from lung cancer or emphysema, they should be considerate enough to think about their neighbours. And if they don't, that's when the government steps in to protect the rest of society from these poisonous fumes. Throughout my six days in Hong Kong, there wasn't one day I did not smell cigarette smoke after stepping out of my hotel.

May I just say to those who oppose the smoking ban that it is high time Hong Kong followed the example of all the developed countries and banned smoking in public areas. This move will definitely make the city more appealing to non-smoking tourists. What this 'lights out' silent protest means to me is that some people choose to ignore proven health risks to make a short-term monetary gain. It is a move that slows down Hong Kong's progress towards a better and healthier society.

Evelyn Ooi, Singapore

Years ago, another country started with warnings on cigarette packets in the hope they would deter people from smoking. What happened was that a smart guy developed nice paper cases made with nice prints that fitted a cigarette packet. So instead of seeing the warning, people saw a box with a picture of a clean beach or a nice Formula One car. So the person who started the idea made money and the warnings were not seen.

A smoker does not look at those warnings. A smoker smokes in front of an open window to keep his house clean and forgets that the nicotine will cover his lungs. A smoker smokes outside so the television screen stays clean and will not be covered with the brown layer of nicotine. A smoker does not want to hear warnings. They know their chances for lung cancer, vascular diseases and ageing of skin are huge.

The ban will make it easier for non-smokers to go out, but it will give smokers a hard time. The warnings will be nice to talk about in the first few weeks and then nobody will see them anymore, with or without paper covers.

I stopped smoking three years ago, and not because of warnings or smoking bans. I stopped because I myself wanted to. I wanted to talk to a non-smoker without covering my mouth because I was afraid of a bad breath. I wanted to be able to do sports without getting short of breath.

A smoker only will stop when he wants to. No picture, no warning can do anything about that.

J.Vellekoop, Hong Lok Yuen