I refer to the letter from James Lu, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Hotels Association, headlined 'Many tourists like to smoke in restaurants' (South China Morning Post, November 8).
If large numbers of tourists or even residents decided they wanted to sit in a restaurant burning, say, joss sticks every 10 to 15 minutes, or perhaps having eaten their food, pushed away their plates, sat back and enjoyed spraying the air around the neighbouring tables with, let's say, insect repellent, would restaurant owners and the Hong Kong Hotels Association allow that sort of behaviour? Let's assume not, as it would be considered anti-social, disruptive and dangerous to the health of their customers and staff.
So lighting up a stick of rolled tobacco and paper, exhaling the pungent and dangerous smoke into the atmosphere, waving the stick around, dropping ash everywhere is acceptable. Why?
Cigarette smokers are addicts. Most find it extremely difficult to stop, or don't want to stop and can't imagine being able to enjoy a meal without feeding their habit, no matter how inconsiderate it may be to everyone around them.
Restaurant owners and the Hong Kong Hotels Association, along with the rest of Hong Kong, should be doing their utmost to help fight this addiction. Perhaps more smokers would consider giving up if there were fewer places where they could smoke. Smoking is already banned on public transport, in most cinemas, shopping malls, schools and offices. The message to addicts, whether tourists or residents, should be - smoking is not cool, it stinks, it pollutes and it kills.
I would like to reassure Mr Lu that there are plenty of non-smokers who can't wait for a smoke-free environment and that tourists will not stop coming to Hong Kong just because they can't smoke in a restaurant.