After reading the article (Smoking breaks face council ban, Croydon Guardian, October 18) about the ban of smoking breaks for staff at Taberner House I felt elated.

One worker stated in the article that if smokers wanted to poison themselves then that was their choice - and so it is.

However, their frequent five-minute fag break is hardly something that only affects themselves. Non-smokers are forced to endure their choice in poison if they happen to even be in the same area - that is totally unfair.

The movement toward a total ban of smoking in public is a sensible one - as although smokers should have the choice to smoke when they want, they should do it in their own homes, in private or in purpose-made smoking areas that do not infringe on the non-smoker's space.

At the moment, even in restaurants, many smoking and non-smoking areas are too close together, rendering the non-smoking area pointless.

More education and support should go to help smokers quit. In the article one worker claimed that many smokers needed their fix to be able to cope with the levels of stress that their work causes them.

It is common knowledge that nicotine does nothing to alleviate stress and rather agitates the mind and body further.

Too many smokers are ignorant of the amount of damage that the toxins in a cigarette can do to children and other non-smoking adults alike - and also to themselves.

It is also a poor example to set for young children everywhere who are constantly subjected to images and experiences of smoking.

The massive increase in teen smokers should be a horrific indication of how out of hand smoking has become.

It is certainly a free country, accustomed to promoting the rights of the individual - so what about our rights to not walk into buildings fogged by fag smoke? And our rights to eat our meals without a side helping of nicotine?

I think it's time smokers understood that their selfish and dangerous habit has gone way beyond personal rights and choice.

Non-smoker received by email