Page 2298 - Week 07 - Thursday, 16 June 1994
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The Government commends the Standing Committee for Conservation, Heritage and Environment on its consideration of protection of public health from environmental tobacco smoke.
The Government, having considered very carefully the arguments set out in the Committee's report, concurs with Ms Ellis's position.
There are two key recommendations of the report which the Government cannot accept:
• the adoption of a mechanical ventilation and air conditioning standard as a standard for acceptable air quality in premises where smoking can occur; and
• the extension of the smoke-free requirement to all remaining enclosed public places within 30 months of gazettal of the legislation.
First, the ventilation standard proposal.
The Committee's adoption of the AS1668.2-1991, The use of mechanical ventilation and air conditioning in buildings, as a standard for air quality in enclosed areas where smoking can occur was driven by the acknowledgement that ETS contributes to public health risks and the perception that some businesses wish to accommodate smoking in their premises.
Adoption of this standard, however, is not -- and was never designed to be -- a tenable solution to the problem of environmental tobacco smoke. Better air conditioning is not the solution to this important health problem.
The Committee, unfortunately, appears to have misinterpreted crucial information in reaching its recommendation.
The two cornerstones of the Committee's report are that AS 1668.2 is a health-based standard and that the proposed use of the standard to create a 'safe' indoor environment is legitimate since it has allegedly been used in this way by the New South Wales occupational health and safety agency, the WorkCover Authority.
Both of these cornerstones crumble when held up against the evidence. Both Standards Australia and the NSW WorkCover Authority have cautioned against applying AS 1668.2 as a health-based standard to remove the risks associated with environmental tobacco smoke.
The General Manager of Standards Operations for Standards Australia, Mr Peter Walsh, states that the health risk presented by environmental tobacco smoke may not be eliminated by adherence of AS 1668.2. The Government believes, therefore, that to invoke the standard in this way would be to provide a false sense of security that health considerations are being met.
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