A bone to pick

Sir: Mark Evans (letter, 6 December) asked how the Government could continue to allow sales of cigarettes while preventing the sale of beef on the bone, when the risk of death from the former far exceeds the risk from the latter.

I for one would be perfectly happy to see beef on the bone for sale in shops if it carried a government health warning like cigarettes do. This seems far more sensible than an outright ban every time the Government uncovers some potential hazard, whether it be from beef, chicken, eggs, apples, or genetically altered soya.

RICHARD BARTLE
West Bergholt, Essex