I REFER to the letter One more of our precious freedoms is swept aside' Mr John Aldridge-Goult (Echo, June 25) and ask the question: What about the freedom to breathe?

Everyone debates the rights of the smokers and their freedom to smoke wherever they are at the time, and how this legislation that comes into force on July 1 affects them, but has anyone not heard the cheers from the many asthmatics of this world?

My wife is asthmatic and plays regularly at the Gala Bingo club in Weymouth where they presently have a large 'smoking' section and a small 'no smoking' section.

Can cigarette smoke read? You can guarantee by the end of the night the fumes have drifted through the no-smoking section and her asthma has kicked off.

This forces her to have to use a portable nebuliser, much to the many gazes of surprise, disgust, and sheer downright puzzlement of the public.

To her pleasure, when July 1 comes up she will have the freedom to sit where she likes and the freedom to breathe.

We regularly go out for an evening to a local pub or club and you can guarantee that whatever clothes we are wearing, especially if they were put on specially for the evening out, will have to be washed the following day because, surprise surprise, they are stinking of cigarette smoke.

The evening is also generally shortened because the wife's asthma has kicked off. So, more cries of freedom here - the freedom to have a good long night out and the freedom to not smell of stale cigarette smoke the following day!

So, well done to our present government, and may they continue to serve us appropriately. Just a shame they didn't have the French outlook on things, and pressed for a total and complete ban on smoking in public both indoors and outdoors!

John Coleman, Channel View Road, Portland.