Page 1460 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 6 June 2007
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when you have had to run the gauntlet of smoke to get in and out of buildings, shopping centres and the like.
We ask people to think about the benefits of giving up. We do not want to be the big-stick people and become the nanny state. As an ex-smoker, I concede that giving up is a really hard thing to do, but the government is working—and the federal government have worked hard too—to provide much more information, support and advice in this day and age than was available when I gave up smoking.
Back in December 2006, the Minister for Health responded to a question on notice concerning the ACT government’s approach to extending the ban on smoking to include public places such as outdoor dining areas, playgrounds and around public building entrances. Part of the response to the question implied that preliminary work had commenced on a regulatory impact assessment to identify the best approach to controlling smoking in outdoor public places. I hope that initial assessments were conducted with the full input of the ACT business community, to consider the possible impacts on business that further bans on smoking would have. In developing the initiatives, ACT Health apparently conducted extensive consultation with ClubsACT, the Australian Hotels Association ACT, health and community organisations and other interested groups.
If these initiatives have been developed to the point of finalisation, it would be timely for the Minister for Health to release them for public comment now before taking steps to introduce any further legislative measures to impose a ban on smoking in outdoor public places. I would support the minister in recognising some of the benefits that can be reaped from banning smoking in certain public spaces. I agree that there can be no justification for any claims that there is a safe level of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, ETS. I do not back away from strong evidence that exposure to ETS can lead to diseases and premature death in children or adults who do not smoke.
ACT businesses have been able to adapt to the ban on smoking in enclosed spaces, and patrons have received the changes very well. From a selfish point of view, I quite enjoy that now; but again—the balance is there—I feel for businesses and for patrons who would like to smoke. However, they have received the changes well, the transitional period over summer 2006-07 proving to be very successful. Both smokers and non-smokers have been well catered for under the new legislative measures. I believe that the key to the success has been a combination of more education programs about the dangers of smoking, selling good health messages and sensible regulation in order to see the reduction in the incidence of smoking.
Given that outdoor cafe areas are already required to maintain adequate airflow standards, the difficulty that may be faced down the track is that a further impost or ban on outdoor smoking may not have any significant impact in reducing the incidence of smoking in public places. The reason I mention this point is that it may also be very difficult to closely monitor patron behaviour, placing a further burden of enforcement on a business owner, to police any new regulation. That goes on to what I am saying; I am looking forward to the health minister being able to shed some light on the issue of how we actually do the mechanics of this.
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