In order to speed up the publication of correspondence and to encourage debate among our readers and authors, all letters to the Editor must from 1 January 2009 be submitted online as eLetters. Hard-copy submissions or submissions sent by email will no longer be considered. To submit an eLetter, please go to the Psychiatric Bulletin website http://pb.rcpsych.org. Click ‘submit an eLetter’ in the box at the top right of the screen when viewing online the article on which you wish to comment. If your letter is a general one, and not in response to a specific article, please click the link ‘eLetters’ on the Psychiatric Bulletin homepage and follow the instructions. We aim to publish eLetters online, if accepted, within 10 days of submission. A selection of these letters will be included in subsequent printed issues.