IT is to John Reid's credit that he highlights the plight of young single mothers on council estates.

Too often they are criticised unfairly, by the middle and political classes alike. It is refreshing to see a senior politician, a Cabinet minister no less, comprehend the despair and hopelessness felt by the most vulnerable and neglected members of our society.

It is a great pity, however, that he chooses to jump to the defence of these single mums on the issue of smoking.

These are the very people who, because of both financial and health reasons, can least afford to smoke. And yet, here we have a Health Secretary giving the impression that smoking should not be discouraged.

He is emphasising the pleasure smoking can give, rather than the damage it can cause.

The message he should be sending out, loud and clear, is that smoking can kill and amounts to a huge drain on the National Health Service.

He should be using his privileged position to promote the virtues of a healthy lifestyle, and help make it possible for young mums and their children on sink estates to have access to healthy lifestyles.

But because of his intervention he has allowed the debate on smoking to switch from issues of health to issues of individual freedom. That merely plays into the hands of the pro-tobacco lobby at a time when bans on smoking in public places are being considered.