I was delighted to read a Hove restaurant has decided to ban smoking (January 18).

When eating out, I always ask for a non-smoking table and am often told there is no segregated area.

The manager then says if he made the restaurant non-smoking he would lose business.

When I was in New York, all the restaurants and diners were non-smoking. They were full of people eating and enjoying themselves.

Just think of the benefits, both for the diners (including young children) and the staff.

Why doesn't Brighton and Hove City Council take the lead by banning smoking in restaurants and cafes?

Wouldn't that be a great start to the new century?

-Mari Booker, Clover Way, Portslade