It is normal for all television stations to start repeating programmes at this time of the year. With so many people going on holiday, or at least moving out of their houses in the evenings, it is logical that no new productions are aired.

One day last week I was watching Rai Uno and they aired black and white footage of a singer, I believe it was Adriano Celentano, singing with a cigarette in his hands while in the studio.

I could not help wondering how things have changed. In those years – it must have been the early 1970s – it was cool to be seen smoking. Nowadays, it is not and Celentano himself would probably be the first to refuse to be seen smoking on TV.

Smoking in public enclosed spaces has been prohibited in most of Europe, and so it should be.

Christine Sammut

Sliema