Letter: Glamour of the wartime weed

Sir: Lynne Reid Banks (letter, 8 March) is right to say that smokers always knew the risks. We strongly suspected that smoking was not good for our health - we Second World War servicewomen called cigarettes "cancer tubes". But we went on smoking.

It helped one stay awake on night duty, and it was so much the done thing that to refuse a proffered fag was tantamount to refusing to shake a proffered hand. To smoke was doggedly seen (anyway by the youngest of us) as risque rather than risky, and being a non-smoker was priggish.

Every public space reeked of smoke. Characters in films, books and advertisements (not only those plugging tobacco products) had their interest and glamour enhanced by the way they handled the weed. Jewelled lighters and cases were a first choice as birthday and Christmas presents.

To fasten all blame on the tobacco companies is to evade responsibilities more widely shared.

ANNE GLYN-JONES

Topsham, Devon