Australia
In Australia, several states have enacted smokefree air laws for workplaces and public places, some including casinos.
Tasmania: As of January 1, 2006, all public places and workplaces, including bars must be 100% smokefree. The legislation also prohibits smoking within 3 metres of entrances or exits of non-domestic buildings, furthermore at least half of the tables in outdoor dining areas must be smoke-free.
Queensland: Under the Tobacco and Other Smoking Products Amendment Act 2004, passed in November 2004, all workplaces, including restaurants, bars, clubs, outdoor areas where food and drink are served, and sporting stadiums are all smokefree, as of July 1, 2006. High roller rooms of casinos of exempt.
New South Wales: Most public places and workplaces are 100% smokefree. Establishments with liquor and gaming licenses are currently exempt but will be phased in by July 2, 2007 under Smoke-Free Environment Amendment Act 2004, Smoke-Free Environment Amendment Regulation 2005 and Smoke-Free Amendment (Enclosed Places) Regulation 2006. As of July 2, 2007, the only workplaces where smoking will be permitted is in private gaming areas at the Star City Casinos. Lawmakers will review this exemption on an annual basis.
Victoria: All restaurants, cafes, dining areas and shopping centres, enclosed workplaces, covered railway platforms, bus and tram stops and underage music and dance events are smokefree. Enclosed licensed premises and outdoor eating and drinking areas (where there is a roof and the wall surface area is more than 75%) must also be smoke-free as of July 1, 2007. The gambling floors of casinos are exempt.
Western Australia: As of July 2006, all hospitality venues are smokefree, including restaurants, bars, hotels, and most gaming venues. The high roller rooms in the Burswood Casino is exempt.
South Australia: Under the Tobacco Products Regulation Act 1997 most enclosed public places, workplaces or shared areas, are smokefree. Licensed premises with multiple bars, such as casinos, are exempt until November 2007, at which point all smoking rooms and designated areas will phase-out.
Northern Territory: Eating establishments, community buildings, and public transport are smokefree. For more information on the Northern Territory's smokefree legislation, visit the Department of Health and Community Service.Australian Capital Territory: In 1994, the Australian Capital Territory became the first Australian jurisdiction to enact indoor smoking restriction legislation. Under this legislation, most enclosed public places went smokefree. Exemptions are allowed for restaurants and licensed premises which install ventilation systems. This exemtion will phase out on December 1, 2006, at which point the Smoking (Prohibition in Enclosed Public Places) Act 2003. This Act makes all public places that are, at least, 75% enclosed 100% smokefree. Read the accompanying regulations to for the definition of "enclosed" place.
| Smokefree News |
| Household Smoking Behaviours and Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke Among Infants: Are Current Strategies Effectively Protecting Our Young? Queensland motorists fined $200 for smoking in cars with children MORE than 150 people who have continued to smoke in cars with children - putting them at risk of serious respiratory diseases -have copped $200 on-the-spot fines since January. Queensland Health said research suggested more than 30 per cent of smokers with children aged under 14 continued to smoke in their cars. Latest figures show 158 people have ignored new state laws, introduced on January 1, banning smoking in cars carrying children under 16, and have been fined. ... Randwick Council asks community to make decision on ban The noose tightens around public smoking A new round of strict anti-smoking laws come into effect in September, but authorities are already looking at implementing even stricter measures to target smokers. The next step could be forcing addicts to get their cigarettes on prescription, said Western Australia's first Director General of Health and prominent anti-smoking advocate, Mike Daube. Laws passed by the state government last year, which come into effect on September 22, have tightened restrictions in WA, making it tougher for smokers to light up on the beach, in the car, at playgrounds or while eating out. ... Coast council backs off smoking ban South Australia Bags 'Dirty Ashtray Award' for Second Year Smoking bans 'not to be NSW-wide yet' Parramatta smoke ban does not extend to dining New no smoking regulations for Warringah Port Phillip's beach ban on butts SMOKERS lighting up on the beach could soon be banned. Port Phillip Council is investigating banning cigarettes and glass to avoid “cuts and butts” on beaches from Elwood to Garden City. Smokers or people with glass bottles would be fined. Mayor Frank O’Connor said cigarette butts made up a large proportion of litter cleaned from the beach and had made the beaches less welcoming. ... Hospitals to be smoke-free Yorke Peninsula’s hospitals and health services will be smoke-free as of International World No Tobacco Day, May 31. ... Northern Tasmania's primary mental health ward is banning smoking on its grounds in a bid to stop patients using the habit as a way of coping with stress and anxiety. Northside at the Launceston General Hospital will instead provide in-patients with nicotine replacement therapy. Strategic Nurse Coordinator Catherine Schofield says people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are more than three times more likely to smoke than other Australians "It would appear that more people smoke that have a mental illness," she said. ... Council rethinks CBD smoking ban The Orange City Council says it will consider introducing a smoking ban in the CBD, but a blanket exclusion zone is too heavy handed. A rescission motion to overturn the controversial proposal was passed at last night's meeting and further investigations will now be carried out into amending the policy. Councillors have supported prohibiting smoking outside the entrances and exits of the hospitals, shops and at bus stops. Mayor John Davis says there was a lot of concern regarding the ban's enforcement and its impact on people's rights. "That's what the councillors were worried about, the fact that how could it be actually controlled and put into operation. There was a very strong argument in regards to the freedom of choice," he said. ... Butt out, council tells smokers Discarded cigarette butts are rife in the Illawarra, tarnishing our major attractions and spoiling the natural environment. But a new approach to the perennial problem will aim to banish stray butts once and for all, as Wollongong City Council cracks down on illegal littering. The council has officially registered Wollongong as a butt-free area, as part of a program involving nine cities, according to environmental education co-ordinator Mike McKeon. "It's an initiative to try and reduce the cigarette butts that people throw on the ground. "They look unsightly, they end up in waterways, they take years to break down and they're a fire hazard," Mr McKeon said. The latest initiative follows several council schemes aimed at minimising littering of butts. "It's an individual thing. People must take responsibility for their own actions, just like any general litter," Mr McKeon said ... Council smoking ban prompts Govt review The Tasmanian Government says it will review legislation following a proposed council smoking ban in parts of Hobart. The Health Minister Michelle O'Byrne says a review is timely in Tasmania where one in four people smoke. The Hobart City Council will ban smokers in the Elizabeth street mall, the bus mall and Wellington Court from August. ... Hobart Council Cracks Down on Outdoor Smoking HOBART—Hobart City Council has imposed stringent new laws on smoking, with a ban in alfresco dining areas and three of the city's outdoor malls. The council made a unanimous decision on Monday night to ban smoking from three central Hobart malls from August 1, punishable with a $120 fine. Smoking will also be banned in all outdoor dining areas from August next year. Acting Lord Mayor Helen Burnet said the decision was not about persecuting smokers. "It's about good public health outcomes, it's about good public amenity," Ms Burnet told ABC Radio on Tuesday. "We'd like to see a reduction in death related to smoking. ... Blacktown smokers told to "butt out'' The Cancer Council NSW and Sydney West Area Health Service have launched a project to increase the capacity of local community service organisations to address the harm caused by smoking. Blacktown’s smoking rate is currently amongst the highest in NSW and puts residents at a disadvantage when it comes to their health and finances. More than a quarter of Blacktown residents smoke, compared to just over 18 per cent of people across the rest of NSW. The highest rates occur amongst young people ‘at risk’, vulnerable families, homeless people, those on low incomes and people with mental health and substance abuse problems. ... Last-gasp smokes ban bid A GOLD Coast city councillor wants to ban smoking in a section of Scarborough Street, Southport, in what would be a first for Queensland. Councillor Dawn Crichlow says police and traders have called for the ban, to stop youngsters and teenagers standing around smoking in the CBD area. Under Cr Crichlow's proposal, smoking would be banned on both sides of Scarborough Street from Nerang Road south to Lawson Street ... Smoking ban in Orange's CBD ORANGE will be home to the most severe anti-smoking measures in the country. Orange City Council last night moved to ban smoking within 70 metres of the Orange City Centre, Orange Central, Orange Arcade, Post Office Lane and the Orange Base Hospital. In another unprecedented decision, smoking will also be banned within 70 metres of any council owned facility including buildings, car parks, playgrounds and sportsgrounds. ... Cancer-stricken Crown worker blames high-rollers' room Four Crown Casino employees claim they have suffered adverse health effects from working in a high-rollers' room where VIP gamblers are allowed to smoke. One of the employees, a 38-year-old woman who is terminally ill with lung cancer, is seeking compensation from the casino where she has worked for several years. The mother-of two, who has never smoked, has been told that she has less than 10 months to live and is said to be in negotiations with casino management. The exclusive Mahogany Room is exempt from Victoria's strict smoking laws in a bid to attract international high-stakes gamblers. Casino staff have reportedly named that gambling room and other VIP areas where smoking is allowed "the cancer ward" ... Push for smoke ban at Crown A NON-SMOKING Crown Casino employee who worked in high-roller rooms where smoking is permitted is believed to have contracted lung cancer. It is believed the seriously ill 38-year-old mother of two is negotiating compensation with casino management. Four other casino staff have requested to be moved from high-roller areas - with the issue of smoking cited among reasons for the transfer requests. Staff at Crown requesting to be moved from smoking areas are forced to obtain a doctor's certificate or letter to support their request. Crown Casino, the only venue in Victoria where smoking is permitted in designated indoor areas, has confirmed it is ''in private discussions with one staff member who is very ill''. In a written statement, the casino said ''expert medical advice provided to Crown states that the nature of the illness is highly unlikely to be related to the workplace'' ... Tasmanians not butting out UP IN SMOKE •Number of Tasmanian adults who smoke: 25.4 per cent, or 86,400. •Those who smoke daily: 21.5 per cent (nation's highest). •Tasmanian women who smoke during pregnancy: 27.6 per cent (11.8 per cent of those smoke more than 10 a day). •Fifty per cent of the Tasmanian Aboriginal population smoke. TASMANIANS are the nation's heaviest smokers - smoking at a rate close to twice the national average. Tasmanian men aged 18 to 34 smoke most - 39.6 per cent of men in the age group smoke daily. At 32.6 per cent, young women aren't far behind when it comes to lighting up. Nearly 22 per cent of Australians smoke daily. ... Hobart hits smokers on new front HOBART smokers are under siege from all sides with a Hobart City Council push to clamp down on outdoor smoking looming as the Federal Government jacks up tobacco taxes and forces a shift to generic packaging. HOBART smokers are under siege from all sides with a Hobart City Council push to clamp down on outdoor smoking looming as the Federal Government jacks up tobacco taxes and forces a shift to generic packaging. Smokers today will have to pay $2.16 more for a 30-pack of cigarettes, as the Rudd Government announced a 25 per cent rise in tobacco excise, the first rise in a decade, to cut the number of smokers and raise money for its National Health and Hospitals Fund ... Outdoor smoke levels in venues soars Outdoor smoke levels at hospitality venues have soared after New South Wales banned smoking indoors, according to research showing club patrons and employees face smoke levels up to 36 times the recommended exposure limits. The research from PhD student Maggie Davidson and her supervisor, Dr Sue Reed, from the University of Western Sydney which will be presented at the Safety In Action conference in Melbourne tomorrow. ... Council considers smoking ban for Queen St Mall Lighting up a cigarette in Queen St Mall could soon be banned following numerous public complaints. Brisbane City Council will ask shoppers and traders if they support outlawing smoking in the pedestrian precinct. A middle-of-the-road option could include dedicated smoking areas away from residents and shops. The Queens St Mall advisory committee and members of the public have regularly complained to council about smoking in the mall, Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said. "While I am reluctant to introduce more laws, it appears a significant number of the population considers this could be warranted," Councillor Newman said. ... Poll respondents back smoking ban Butting in ... Brisbane City Council will ask shoppers and traders if they support outlawing smoking in the Queen Street Mall. There is overwhelming support for a smoking ban in Brisbane's Queen St Mall, according to a brisbanetimes.com.au poll. About 84 per cent of the 800 respondents at midday opposed lighting up in the pedestrian mall. The numbers provide strong support for Brisbane City Council, which is considering forcing smokers to butt out in the shopping precinct. ... Perth Zoo Smoking Ban A new proposal by Perth Zoo to ban all smoking within its grounds has been welcomed by the Australian Medical Association. It was reported today that the government-run venue would introduce a complete smoking ban as part of a lucrative sponsorship deal with WA health promotion agency Healthway. The deal follows last year's decision by the Perth Royal Show to go smoke-free as part of a similar sponsorship arrangement.
"But there's many other major outdoor venues like Gloucester Park and the Ascot and Belmont racecourses which still haven’t got the message and still provide areas where people can smoke. "It's time they listened to the community - and the medical profession - and made the health of patrons and their families a priority." ... Sydney council bans alfresco smoking Another Sydney metropolitan council has banned smoking in outdoor cafe and restaurant areas. Leichhardt Council, which covers part of the trendy inner western suburbs known for its coffee-drinking culture, on Tuesday passed a resolution to make alfresco areas smoke-free from 2011. ... Bega council turns to on-line smoking debate The Bega Valley Shire Council on the New South Wales far south coast has turned to the internet to encourage people to respond to a draft smoke-free policy. The policy would prohibit smoking at facilities such as wharves and sporting grounds, as well as outdoor dining areas and beaches. The draft policy is available on the council's website, and an on-line public forum has been set up to offer an alternative way for people to comment. The Council's Environmental Health Co-ordinator, Greg O'Donnell, says he is confident the community will accept the policy. ... Wider smoking bans on the cards WARRINGAH Council looks set to extend its smoke-free zones to beaches and other areas but has not prescribed penalties for smokers who ignore them. Tonight Warringah Council will vote to declare smoke-free bans on all beaches, all playing fields, sporting grounds and sporting facilities, within all covered bus stops and taxi ranks and within 10 metres of all playgrounds. It also wants to ban smoking in all council-owned or -managed areas, such as footpaths outside restaurants, but can’t introduce such bans until the lease or licence for each establishment is renewed. ... Tourists targeted in Bondi cafe smoking ban Smokers will be banned from lighting up while sitting outside cafes at Sydney's Bondi Beach from July. The Waverley Council has voted to ban smoking within 10 metres of outdoor cafes in the popular tourist spot. The restrictions apply to council-regulated footpaths, but not to internal courtyards or beer gardens. Councillor Kerryn Sloan says the ban is designed to crack down on tourists who are not in step with Australia's increasingly anti-smoking attitude. "They come from countries that have smoking still socially acceptable," she said. ... Smoking, alcohol banned in Brelsford Park The new adventure playground in Coffs Harbour's Brelsford Park will now be smoke-free. The park has been added to a growing list of public facilities going smoke-free, such as the International Sports Stadium. ... Smoking ban survey glitch Launceston businesses have criticised the city council for leaving them out of a survey on a smoking ban proposal. The council is investigating how aldermen ... Council seeks comment on smoking ban Council making smokers butt out New smoking restrictions at SCU Australia Invests $10.7 Million To Quell Indigenous Smoking The Minister for Indigenous Health, Warren Snowdon, today announced 14 sites across the country will benefit from a $10.7 million funding round to promote innovative anti-tobacco campaigns and prevention strategies. The Australian Government’s Indigenous Tobacco Control Initiative aims to reduce smoking rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in urban, regional and remote areas. “Half of Indigenous adults are smokers, and the rate of smoking in the Indigenous population is about twice the rate of the non-Indigenous population. That needs to change,” Mr Snowdon said. “These projects are based on innovative and cultural-appropriate, community-based approaches. They are also in areas which have higher than average smoking rates,” he said. “The initiatives range from starting up a Quit Café, establishing support groups for new parents, promoting role models, to offering counselling to get their message across. ... Smokos "relic of the past" Perth health experts are sounding the death knell for that longstanding tradition among Australian workers - the smoko - as more companies and government departments ban employees from taking cigarette breaks. The Federal Department of Health and Ageing told workers this month they could no longer take smoking breaks except during designated times such as meal breaks, and not within 15m of buildings. In WA, State Health Department-run buildings, including hospitals have enforced a no-smoko rule for two years, with staff and contractors told they could smoke only during designated award rest breaks and must leave the premises to do so. They also warned that the length of tea breaks could not be altered to accommodate smoking. Curtin University professor of health policy Mike Daube said smoking breaks were on the way out. They dated back to a time when about 60-70 per cent of men smoked but now smokers were a small minority. "It's an amazing form of discrimination that a small group of employees have been taking time out, maybe up to an hour a day off work, when everyone else is working," he said. "Ending the smoko is one of the best things employers can do for the health of their staff. ... Richmond Valley smoke-free In a unanimous vote the council voted to adopt a smoke-free policy at its Tuesday night meeting that includes a ban on smoking at sporting fields, outside hotels, near barbecue areas, bus stops and taxi ranks. "It's so people don't get someone else's second-hand smoke," Cr Shirley Wheatley said. "It's a health and safety issue." The ban follows a similar one imposed by Melbourne's bayside Frankston Council this month. ... HAVE YOUR SAY: Nillumbik mayor supports smoke ban NILLUMBIK Mayor Ken King says he would support a move to ban smoking outside the entrance to the shire’s shopping centres. But he stopped going as far as Frankston Council, which last week banned smoking outside shopping strips. ... HAVE YOUR SAY: Smoking to be banned at two Manningham parks SMOKERS will soon face on-the-spot fines of $200 if they light up in two Manningham playgrounds. Manningham Council will ban smoking in two of the city’s most popular playgrounds - Wombat Bend, Lower Templestowe, and Ruffey Lake Park, Doncaster. The ban will run for a trial period of 12 months and, if successful, could be extended to Manningham’s 144 playgrounds. ... Smoking decision has AHA fuming THE Australian Hotels Association has reacted with fury to a ban on smoking in Launceston's outdoor dining areas, due to come into effect next year. On Monday, the Launceston City Council voted to introduce the ban next January, despite opposition from both the Launceston Chamber of Commerce and Cityprom. The council heard officers had sent out 50 surveys on the proposed ban to outdoor dining operators, but had only received one completed form back. AHA chief executive Steve Old said he was flabbergasted by the council's decision, and that his organisation would be lobbying aldermen to overturn it as soon as possible. ... Smoking in outdoor dining areas set to go SMOKING in Launceston's outdoor dining areas will be banned from January 1 next year. The Launceston City Council yesterday resolved to introduce the ban in the interests of public health and consumer comfort. When the ban comes into effect, cafe, restaurant or hotel operators who allow diners to smoke at outdoor tables could have their outdoor dining permits revoked by the council. The council voted to support Alderman Ivan Dean's motion to institute the ban, despite opposition from both Cityprom and the Launceston Chamber of Commerce. . . . A wider survey of 400 Launceston residents found 80 per cent supported a ban on smoking in outdoor dining venues. ... New smoking bans for shopping strips Smoking in the street will be banned in three Melbourne suburban shopping strips. Frankston City Council will fine smokers up to $110 if they are caught smoking in the designated zones. The six-month trial ban will begin in September. The mayor says that if it is successful the same restrictions will pop up in council areas in Victoria and in other states. The ban is the first of its kind in Victoria and will be enforced in two shopping malls and on the western side of Young Street during a six-month trial. ... Fears ban will create 'smoking ghettos' in Frankston FRANKSTON could trial Victoria’s first outdoor no-smoking zones, if the council gets support for it. Councillors this week voted to consult stakeholders, such as police and business owners, to gauge support for a six-month no-smoking zone at the entrance to Bayside Shopping Centre at the intersection of Shannon St Mall and Station Street Mall. The trial, if viable, would begin in September and run until March 1, 2011. ... Melbourne council bans outdoor smoking In a move sure to upset smokers, a Melbourne council is preparing to ban cigarettes from public outdoor areas. Frankston City Council will trial the idea from September, making three busy shopping strips and the street outside a train station smoke free. Anyone who lights up faces a $110 fine. ... Smoking in streets could draw fine SYDNEY councils may consider banning outdoor smoking if a similar prohibition in Victoria is deemed a success. Frankston City Council is preparing to impose blanket bans along three busy open-air shopping strips - including opposite the train station. Lighting up in the designated exclusion zones during the planned six-month trial could cost defiant smokers up to $110. ... Mums flout car fags ban NEW figures show women are the biggest offenders of laws that ban smoking in cars with children. Authorities have caught 111 people -- 69 women and 42 men -- smoking in vehicles carrying children since the ban was introduced. Anti-smoking group Quit Tasmania and the Asthma Foundation have called on women to refrain from exposing children to passive smoking in cars. The groups said the higher representation of female offenders was probably because mothers were more likely to transport children to school and other activities. However, Quit Tasmania executive director Michael Wilson said mums, no matter how long they spent in cars with children, had no excuse. ... Victoria Gets Tough On Tobacco With New Smoking Ban In Cars People will be banned from smoking in motor vehicles with children under 18 when new tobacco laws come into force on January 1, 2010. “The Brumby Labor Government is taking action to reduce the impact of tobacco-related harm to the Victorian community, particularly among children,” Mr Andrews said. “This new law will mean that no-one is allowed to smoke in a motor vehicle if a person under 18 is present. “This ban includes whether the car is moving or not, whether the windows are open or closed, and whether the roof is down or not.” ... ACT bans smoking in outdoor eating areas The ACT Legislative Assembly has passed tough laws banning smoking in outdoor dining and drinking areas. Smoking is already banned in enclosed areas and the new laws will come into affect in 12 months. Health Minister Katy Gallagher says it is a substantial step forward in reducing the harm caused by tobacco. "In 12 months there will be no smoking in Canberra's restaurants, cafes and coffee shops," she said. "Pubs and clubs however will be able to designate an outdoor smoking area of no more than 50 per cent of their outdoor space." Ms Gallagher says food and drink will not be permitted in the designated smoking areas and people under the age of 18 will not be allowed in. "This is protecting workers and members of the public from exposure to tobacco smoke," she said. "Workers in the hospitality industry deserve the same protection that is provided to those working indoors." ... Warringah may be next to ban alfresco smoking WARRINGAH Council may investigate introducing a smoking ban at all alfresco dining areas operating on council land. Councillor Virginia Laugesen has called for an early review of the council’s management of smoking in public places policy, with a goal of a March 1, 2010, implementation of the changes. If successful it will follow the lead of Mosman Council who grabbed world headlines with its ``butt out’’ policy in 2004. Manly Council also has a similar policy already in place. Cr Laugesen’s proposal also seeks to include a ban on smoking within bus shelters as well as council-owned parking stations. ... Ashfield considers outdoor smoking ban He described the smoking ban as “draconian” and said he was glad his Egyptian restaurant was in the Marrickville Council area. ... Hundreds fined for smoking in cars since new laws MORE than 400 people have been cautioned or fined for smoking in cars with children in South Australia since the controversial law was introduced. The state led the nation by introducing a law prohibiting smoking in vehicles in the presence of people under 16 in May 2007, in a bid to protect children from passive smoking. Since then, police have fined 317 people and cautioned 85. A woman was recently convicted for the offence in NSW just three months after that state brought in the new laws. Qld bans smoking in cars carrying kids Queensland motorists who smoke while children are in their cars will be fined from next year. From January 1, Queensland police will enforce a $200 on-the-spot fine to drivers who smoke with children under 16 in their cars. Premier Anna Bligh said the laws would protect children from the dangers of passive smoke. "It is important we protect children who have no choice but to travel in cars with adults and their parents and family members ... where those people don't make the right choices about smoking around them," Ms Bligh told reporters. She made no apologies for the crackdown. ... Smoke free? Council considers outdoor ban DO you want to see smoke-free outdoor areas in Greater Taree? That's the question the city council will be asking residents as it considers introducing a smoke-free environment policy. The council voted at its October ordinary meeting to undertake public consultation on the introduction of such a policy, with input from the community to be considered by the council before any decisions are made. The issue was raised following discussions at a council workshop regarding a possible no-smoking policy at council facilities including footways and sporting grounds. A report prepared by the council's senior environmental health officer Philip Martin said as of May this year, 58 councils in New South Wales ? or 38 per cent ? had a smoke-free policy in certain council-owned or controlled areas, including almost two thirds of metropolitan councils and 28 per cent of regional councils. ... Councillors debate rights vs health SMOKE-free public areas in Greater Taree will make smokers feel like 'outcasts or criminals,' says Cr Mal Marks.
"I'm a non-smoker but I believe council is over-reacting," Cr Marks said, adding that smoking was still a legal practice and most smokers respected those around them. "I'd rather see council embark on an education program, perhaps with the medical fraternity on board, to help some of these people (smokers). It is a very hard thing to give it away," he said "If you're a heroin addict you get given everything under the sun... these poor smokers get nothing." ... Almost half of all Victorian smokers still light up around children Almost half of Victoria's cigarette smokers still light up around children, despite an increase over the last decade in the number of homes that enforce a no-smoking policy. New research released today by the Cancer Council Victoria found significant improvement in the efforts of parents to keep tobacco smoke away from their kids. In 1998 just over half of surveyed households had home smoking bans, but in the latest survey just under three quarters of respondents to a phone survey said their household's regular smoker always or usually smoked outside. If there is a child in the house, it is even more likely (82 per cent) the smoker will go outside. However the researchers said it was not an even trend. Parents were much more likely to protect their children from cigarette smoke when they were aged under five. There was a belief that as their child gets older they are better able to tolerate or avoid smoke exposure. Also, households in lower socio-economic areas were less likely to enforce home smoking bans. ... First smoking in car with child conviction A NEW South Wales woman has been convicted of smoking in a car containing a three-year-old child - in what is believed to be one of the first successes with such a prosecution under new state laws. Alison Therese Manning, 31, was convicted of the smoking offence yesterday in Coffs Harbour Local Court, on the NSW mid-north coast, but avoided a fine or sentence. ... Lake Macquarie Council smoke ban to widen A DRAFT policy banning smoking at Lake Macquarie City Council-owned sporting grounds and swimming pools and near children's playgrounds would be mostly "self-policed". The policy is expected to cost more than $60,000 to fully implement. Councillors broadly backed the policy in a resources and policy committee meeting this week, but they have yet to formally endorse it and further public consultation is to be done. The draft was produced after councillors in August called for its development. ... Fears smoking bans could inflame tensions in overcrowded WA prisons Inmates at WA's maximum security Hakea Prison will be banned from smoking in their cells from Monday - prompting fears from prison officers it could further increase tensions in the State's overcrowded jails. As part of the Department of Corrective Services' smoking reduction policy, inmates at Hakea will be banned from smoking in their cells during the day from next week, according to John Welch, secretary of the WA Prison Officers Union. Mr Welch said while the union agreed that passive smoking in prisons was potentially harmful to his members, of more immediate concern was the effect a tobacco ban could have on the mood of already tense inmates. ... Council delays smoke ban decision The Geraldton-Greenough Council has deferred a decision on banning smoking in alfresco dining areas and other public places. If adopted, the city's second-hand smoke harm minimisation laws would ban smoking at patrolled beaches, sporting venues and playgrounds within the city. ... Great News for Canberrans – Smoking to be banned in outdoor food and drinking ... Finally some great news for all the people in Canberra who love outdoor eating and drinking. The ACT Minister for Health, Katy Gallagher MLA, will be introducing a bill into the Legislative Assembly to restrict smoking in all food and drink outdoor areas. ... Pollies drag on smoking bans Smoking bans in the Queen Street and Ipswich malls are unlikely to take effect until after Christmas, held up by crucial State Government legislation. In May, the councils announced they would introduce smoking bans into their city malls but both have been forced to wait for the Health and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2009 to pass through State Parliament. The legislation was introduced into State Parliament on April 23, 2009 but has yet to be debated. "The State is still yet to pass legislation giving council the power to ban smoking in the Queen Street Mall and council will not be making any decision until that time," a spokesman for Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said. ... Economy $1b better off by cutting smoking rate by a third A study by Deakin University has found the economy would be $1 billion better off if the rate of smoking was cut by one third. Researchers have found the benefits of cutting Australia's smoking rate would be much broader than previously thought. The study was commissioned by VicHealth, and looked at how cutting tobacco usage would benefit individuals, industry and governments. It found that Australia could cut its smoking rate by a third, by having higher prices for cigarettes and tougher bans on smoking in public, like they do in California. ... Butt out on our hospital grounds SMOKING will be banned on the grounds of all public hospitals from May 31 next year. Nurses in uniform and patients in gowns have been a common sight smoking outside hospitals since lighting up indoors was banned in the 1970s. Under the new rules, staff and patients will be offered "at-cost", or free, nicotine replacement therapy but the blanket ban seems certain to push some smokers out to the footpaths. . . . The SmokeFree Australia coalition yesterday called for all Australian governments to make all workplaces smoke-free, including outdoors, after new studies showed smoke-free laws reduce heart attacks by even more than previously thought. The introduction of the bans will coincide with World No Tobacco Day. Sydney Council to ban smoking in public areas Even Lord Mayor Clover Moore has admitted to enjoying a ciggie on the bus, in the car and at cafes, but that was decades ago in London, before the health impacts of passive smoking were publicly acknowledged. Now Sydney Council has joined the growing number of councils that have banned smoking in public outdoor areas. Smoking will be banned in children’s playgrounds, malls, taxi queues, “civic spaces’’ and community centres. Alfresco dining areas might also fall under the laws and designated smoking areas might be assigned. Queensland has already affected a ban, as have Manly and Mosman councils. Smoking is banned on Bondi beach. So, as advocates of the ban pointed out on Monday night, Sydney Council is lagging behind. The ban was supported unanimously and councillors were iin “furious agreement”. A former councillor from Mosman Council, Andrew Brown, spoke in favour of the ban. ... Plan to ban smoking on Hay Street Mall A candidate in the upcoming Perth City Council election has unleashed a plan to ban smoking in the Hay and Murray Street malls.
"You have just got a lot of people smoking and lots of passive smoking in the malls. "With 1500 smoking-related deaths, and 9000 under-age smokers starting smoking every year in WA, something has to be done." ... Smoking ban in cars closer A bill banning smoking in cars carrying children has passed the upper house of the West Australian parliament. The bill was introduced earlier this year by the Independent Mp Janet Woollard. It will also ban retailers from being able to display tobacco products and prohibits people from smoking in certain parts of alfresco dining areas. ... Smoking ban looms MONASH Council hopes to ban smoking at sports clubs within five years. The council previously tried to prohibit lighting up at sports venues when it introduced a ban on smoking in playgrounds in 2007 but backed down after local clubs argued it could affect patronage. Mayor Paul Klisaris said the council still intended to ban smoking at clubs within five years. "It will be the next step. It's becoming the norm nowadays with smoking banned in pubs, restaurants and a tax increase on cigarettes." No one has been fined for smoking in playgrounds since the local law was introduced. "People normally police it themselves. If parents see someone smoking in the playground, they remind them it is a non-smoking area." Last October, the council became the first state winner of the Heart Foundation's award for programs and policies that reduce exposure to tobacco. ... Canberra Theatre Joins SmokeFree Canberra Theatre, together with Smoke Free will host a SmokeFree Youth Dance Festival. Ausdance ACT proudly presents the 25th SmokeFree Youth Dance Festival - Changes 25 Years! Each night is different, each night brings new dance to the stage in a non-competitive expression of youth dance and energy, with 1,300 dancers from 32 high schools and colleges in 45 separate original dance works using every dance style imaginable. ... Experts support crackdown on bad habits Western Australia and the international tobacco industry / "We are still not yet out of the woods in W.A." (PDF) It would be hard to find somewhere more remote from the centre of the international tobacco industry than Western Australia. The international tobacco companies active in Australia are controlled from North America and the United Kingdom. One might assume that a state with some two million inhabitants in a sparsely populated country would barely appear on the radar of the tobacco industry's global leaders. the major focus of document-based research and publications has inevitably been on the United States and other countries where the industry is either located or has been seen as focussing its interests. It is, however, clear that this is a global industry with global concerns, and that its financial well-being rests on the profitability of operations around the world. . . . Some of the comments and events reported to the industry's global leaders might be equally well placed in a comedy program, for example the 1980s comments of the Western Australian Tobacco Institute Executive Offi cer Ron Berryman, that, "Irrespective of how many children take up smoking in a year, no one is immortal--everyone dies sooner or later", and, in response to the allegation that cigarettes are a cause of cancer, "So are potatoes. Tobacco is in the same family. You inhale the fumes of potatoes when you are cooking them". But other aspects of the industry's activities border on the sinister. As this report documents, Professor Ragnar Rylander, from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, who both spent a sabbatical month at The University of Western Australia in 1988, and was viewed in good faith by Western Australian scientists as a respected colleague, was essentially a tobacco industry spy, with a generously-funded consultancy, sending back secret reports to the Philip Morris company in New York on tobacco control developments within Western Australia. Push to extend smoking bans across Hunter ANTI-smoking campaigners have set their sights on Maitland and the Upper Hunter, as the push to ban smoking in public areas gains momentum in the region. Port Stephens and Newcastle councils have introduced smoking bans in public areas, which they own and control. ... Brisbane Council considers Queen Street Mall non-smoking areas Some parts of the Queen Street Mall could become smoke-free under a Brisbane City Council plan to cut cigarette butt littering in the CBD. Should smoking be banned in parts of the mall? Have your say. It's being considered as part of a crackdown on littering in Brisbane, which has found cigarette butts make up half the litter on city streets. ... The Effect of Smoke-free Policies on Revenue in Bars in Tasmania, Australia. OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of smoke-free policies on revenue in Tasmanian bars. METHOD: Monthly sales turnover from January 2002 to March 2007, provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics was analysed. There were two OUTCOME MEASURES: (1) the ratio of monthly bar sales turnover in Tasmania to monthly bar sales turnover in four other Australian states, and (2) the ratio of monthly bar turnover to monthly retail turnover in Tasmania. Linear regression was used to assess the impact of the smoke-free policy on expenditure. RESULTS: The smoke-free policy had no effect on sales turnover. ONCLUSION: The smoke-free policy protects hospitality workers and patrons from exposure to second-hand smoke and has had no adverse effect on sales turnover. More councils introduce smoke-free outdoor areas THE number of councils in NSW that have introduced smoke-free outdoor areas has more than doubled in the past two years, a Heart Foundation survey has found. The figures, published today, show 58 of 152 NSW councils had banned smoking in areas such as playgrounds, swimming pools and alfresco-dining areas by May, up from 28 councils in 2007. The implementation of smoke-free outdoor areas has been higher in metropolitan municipalities, with 65 per cent of 43 councils introducing the bans, compared with 28 per cent of 109 regional councils. Warringah, Wollongong City, Camden, Hurstville and Port Stephens are the latest councils to approve a smoke-free policy in council-owned outdoor areas. ... Smoke-free outdoor policy on council's agenda Council has agreed to investigate the introduction of a smoke-free outdoor policy. The issue of passive smoking has been of major concern within Australia for a number of years and there is an increasing trend to prohibit smoking in a wide range of public places. ... Prison smoking bans to start today Smoking will be banned inside most of the State’s prisons today and limited to designated areas, prompting renewed calls for the State Government to crack down on a prisoner’s right to light up in jail. Australian Council on Smoking and Health president Mike Daube welcomed the partial ban but warned that prisoners were not getting the same protection as the rest of the community. ... Smoking to be banned while under-18s are in the car SMOKING in cars carrying children under 18 will be banned. "There is no risk-free level of second-hand smoke in confined areas such as cars," he said. Expert fumes over NT smoking policy The Territory Government's policies on smoking have come under fire from the president of the Australian Council on Smoking and Health. It is still legal to smoke in bars in the Territory, although a ban will come into place next year. . . . "The reality is that the Territory Government's attitudes to tobacco over the years have been a disgrace. "They lag so far behind the other states and territories that they should be asking themselves why they're allowing so many needless deaths." ... Just two clubs prosecuted over defying smoking ban JUST two clubs have been prosecuted for breaching the State Government's smoking bans, despite hundreds of breaches. The small strike rate is in marked contrast to the police crackdown on infringements of the state's recently-toughened laws governing the service of alcohol in pubs and clubs. NSW Health has said it prefers to warn venues that they have breached the bans rather than prosecute. ... Smoking to be banned in cars with kids Places where smoking is prohibited in NSW will soon include cars, if any of their passengers are under the age of 16. Billboards and print advertisements will start appearing this weekend to remind drivers and smokers of new government regulations aimed at protecting children from tobacco smoke. The new laws come into effect on July 1. "The advertisements will hammer home the message that from July 1, drivers and smokers will be banned from smoking in cars when a child or passenger under the age of 16 is present," Minister assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) Jodi McKay said in a statement on Saturday. "Any driver or passenger who is caught violating this new law could attract a $250 on-the-spot fine from NSW Police." ACT tightens smoking laws in outdoor areas Canberra's clubs and pubs are facing further restrictions on where their patrons can light up, with the ACT Government about to introduce new anti-smoking legislation. Under the new legislation being introduced smoking will be banned in outdoor areas where food and drinks are served, said ACT health minister Katy Gallagher. ... Tobacco Smoke Exposure in Hospitalised Aboriginal Children in Central Australia. Health groups praise council's outdoor smoking ban Cancer Council NSW and the Heart Foundation have applauded Cessnock City Council for announcing its intention to expand its outdoor smoking ban to include children’s playgrounds in the Cessnock LGA. This follows the introduction of policy banning smoking in the grounds of Cessnock and Branxton pools which came into effect in October 2007. Regional Programs Coordinator at Cancer Council’s Hunter Region office, Dana Buzinec, said: “Cancer Council commends Cessnock City Council for taking this crucial step towards protecting the community from toxic second hand smoke. The policies have also been shown to de-normalise smoking which helps reduce the number of young people taking up this health destroying habit.” ... Hospitality industry ready for smoking law THE Esperance hospitality industry is not concerted about the recent altered anti-smoking bill. Gibson Soak Hotel manager Phil Waddington said that the law would not make any difference to his business because the measures have already been set up. “We have two sections outside, one with ashtrays and one without, it’s pretty common sense. “The law will inconvenience but will not change people’s behaviour.” ... Smokers are butting out Anti-smoking drive on Illawarra hospital grounds Smoking at beach set to be banned WESTERN Australia's tough new smoking bans, which impose fines of up to $1000 for smoking in cars carrying children or between the flags at the beach, are set to become law after passing through the Lower House of Parliament. Independent MP Janet Woollard, who framed the legislation, said she was hopeful the Bill would be passed by Parliament's Legislative Council as early as next week. The new laws will ban smoking within 10m of playgrounds, in cars carrying children under the age of 16 years, in the alfresco areas of cafes and restaurants, in at least 50 per cent of outdoor areas of hotels and in designated beach bathing areas. New WA smoke laws softer than proposed THE WA Government has backed down on more extreme provisions of proposed anti-smoking laws after The Sunday Times identified big possible flaws. On April 5, the paper revealed that the laws proposed in their previous form could have seen smokers fined $2000 just for puffing near a street hotdog vendor or on a park bench. ... Ipswich bans smoking at bus stops Ipswich aims to become Queensland's first city to ban smoking at taxi ranks and bus stops, as well as the city's central mall. The decision by the southern Queensland regional city follows the introduction to state parliament last week of new legislation giving councils additional controls over public smoking. Ipswich council's policy board spokesman Paul Tully said the move would be welcomed by most residents who were unhappy with smoking in busy public places. ... Tobacco bans spark anger While smoking bans in public places, particularly hospitals and other health facilities, have been sweeping the globe in recent years, preventing mental health patients from smoking is controversial. This was dramatically illustrated last week after The Sydney Morning Herald reported NSW Health was moving ahead with a ban in all its psychiatric centres, despite vehement objections from some front-line mental health workers. . . . According to NSW Health, the newspaper got it wrong: no blanket smoking ban is being introduced. Instead, the department is providing guidelines to health services on how they should go about preparing for and implementing a ban, should they choose to do so. A similar approach is being taken in Victoria, where Melbourne Health is exercising its discretion to introduce a ban. Other health services in the state are free to allow smoking in non-enclosed spaces.. But it's nevertheless true that even the whisper of a smoking ban in mental health centres puts the cat among the pigeons. Other states have been watching the NSW ruckus with interest; South Australia says it has no plans to introduce a ban, and in Western Australia, where smoking bans have been in place in all state-run hospitals and health services since January 2008, the new Health Minister has promised to review the measure in relation to mental health facilities, in the light of concerns raised by some workers. Smoking ban angers mental-health groups ELEANOR HALL: It seems logical for a health department to enforce a no smoking rule but mental health experts are warning the New South Wales Health Department that banning smoking in psychiatric facilities could be dangerous for both patients and their carers. The department though says it will push ahead with its plans, saying smoking is the number-one risk to health. Barbara Miller has our report. BARBARA MILLER: Ashtrays will be removed from mental health centres, outdoor smoking areas closed down and patients supplied with nicotine replacement therapies. But the New South Wales authorities are making no apologies for the moves. Liz Develin is the director of Health Advancement. LIZ DEVELIN: Smoking is still the single biggest risk factor for death in New South Wales. It out-rates alcohol. It out-rates overweight and obesity. And hence New South Wales Health must show that smoking is just unacceptable and no-one should be exposed to environmental tobacco smoke. BARBARA MILLER: Liz Develin says the ban will be gradually introduced, ensuring a smooth transition. LIZ DEVELIN: There's very good evidence published in psychiatric journals from across the world where, where you do this properly, you don't see increased aggression or patients going off their medication or not turning up for their mental health service, but it could happen if people don't do it properly which is why we're providing very extensive guidance on how to do it. ... Passive smoking strikes WA children Alarming new research shows that at least one child under the age of five is treated every day at Perth’s hospital emergency departments as a direct result of breathing in cigarette smoke from people around them. Respected epidemiologist D’Arcy Holman and research assistant Victoria Gray found that across all age groups, 4881 West Australians or one in 50 of all urgent cases at emergency departments had a smoking caused medical condition. The most common complaints were chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or emphysema, heart rhythm problems, lower respiratory tract infections, stroke and heart failure. Smoking ban in mental health hospital may be overturned A ban on smoking in Western Australia's mental health hospitals could be overturned following a review of the policy by the Health Minister. Graham Jacobs says the ban would only be reversed for involuntary patients. Dr Jacobs says there is anecdotal evidence the ban has made some patients more difficult to manage and is not helping their rehabilitation. "Often staff come to me and say it's much more difficult to manage people with their illness and it can aggravate their condition," he said. Smoking in cars when children are present The Minister for Health, Katy Gallagher MLA, has released a consultation paper canvassing options for prohibiting smoking in motor vehicles when children are present. Minimising the public's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is an integral part of ACT tobacco regulation. The ACT Government is concerned about smoking in cars where children are present, and it's a high priority for this Government to protect our children from exposure to ETS. The consultation paper canvasses a number of options to address smoking in motor vehicles when children are present. The purpose of the paper is two-fold to raise awareness about the health risks of ETS exposure and to seek the community's views on this important issue. . . . To be considered, comments must arrive by the close of business on 27 February 2009. Beach bans working Fewer Victorians smoking after bar ban: report A large number of people have quit or reduced smoking since Victorian bars and clubs were made smokefree, according to Cancer Council Victoria data. Hospitality venues in the state were made smokefree on July 1 last year. In a Cancer Council survey of 1250 people, four out of ten recent quitters stated smokefree venues had helped them quit. A third reported they had reduced the amount they smoked following the introduction of the legislation. Breathe Easy, the Air's Better THE air in South Australia's hotels and clubs is a thousand times cleaner since the total smoking ban took effect, tests show. An independent analysis of air quality, conducted by The Advertiser, found that breathing in the air in hotels before the State Government's latest smoking laws were introduced, was comparable to living in an industrial area. Smoking bans hit parents in cars NEW South Wales smokers may soon have to go without while driving in the car with children, under State Government plans to expand smoking bans. Premier Morris Iemma yesterday launched a new $1.4 million anti-smoking TV campaign and flagged the banning of smoking in cars carrying children. "What we're doing at the moment is examining the experience in Tasmania and South Australia that have introduced rules in that area ... it is timely to have a look," Mr Iemma said. Bans no bar to success SMOKING bans have had a positive effect on the hotel industry, according to the Australian Hotels Association. The AHA -- which had previously warned that ... More quit smoking after bans Anti-smoking campaigner, Quit, is reporting a 20 per cent boost in weekend calls to its helpline, since smoking bans were introduced. Since the bans on smoking in indoor public places began in July, 800 smokers have called the helpline on weekends. Quit's Executive Director Fiona Sharkie says the increase represents a major cultural shift. She says five years ago, smokers would have been too busy going out on Saturday and Sunday to consider quitting. Tasmania wins Clean Ashtray Award Tasmania has been hailed as having the best anti-smoking initiatives in the country. The Australian Medical Association says State Government plans for smoke-free pubs and clubs, and making tobacco retailers display graphic health warnings, make Tasmania the joint winner of this year's Clean Ashtray Award. Queensland, where similar measures are being enforced, shared the award. Tasmania was declared the worst State for smoke prevention in the same award a year ago. Smoking at an all-time low in Australia - ninemsn
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare survey estimates about 2.9 million Australians smoked cigarettes daily in 2004 while another 530,000 lit up once a week or less. Australian Hotel Issues Total Smoking Ban The Novotel St Kilda will become Melbourne's first smoke-free major international hotel when it bans smoking in all its rooms and indoor public areas from June 1. The hotel, on The Esplanade, has decided on the ban after consultation with guests and two years after introducing a smoke-free environment in its restaurant and indoor bar. The hotel is the only one of 25 hotels in the chain in Australia and New Zealand to ban smoking completely. Manager Llewellyn Wyeth said Novotel St Kilda guests overwhelmingly backed the move. "We've had no negative feedback," he said. "We've had people who smoke take the non-smokers' side of the argument. "The majority of people who smoke don't want to smoke in their hotel room, they'll go outside." Gambling up $100m after smoking ban Australian state to ban smoking in pubs and clubs by 2007 The upper house of parliament in Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, has passed legislation that will ban smoking in all pubs and clubs by 2007. Smoking will be restricted to one room from the middle of next year and will be phased out completely over the following two years. State Science and Medical Research Minister, Frank Sartor, says the legislation is designed to minimise the financial effect on these venues. "There's no question that environmental tobacco smoke causes harm and death to people and it's very important that we deal with this important health issue," he said.
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Around 17.4 per cent of Australians are now regular smokers, giving the