Can I please make an appeal to all family and friends of those people who are trying to give up or have given up smoking recently.

Don’t continually bombard them with remarks such as “you must be a lot better off” – of course they are not, they have to pay for supplies of sweets and chewing gum and subscription to slimming clubs because they are suddenly two stone heavier.

The other classic is “you must feel much healthier”!

They are depriving their bodies of something that it has been used to for years – they feel rubbish.

Have some sense – words of encouragement is what’s needed; then perhaps there will be a decrease of people going back on the dreaded weed. I know, I’ve been there.

Terry Jerrard, Slades Farm Road, Bournemouth