New smoking bans hit public areas

SMOKERS won’t be able to light up in pub beer gardens, sports grounds, bus and train stops or in building doorways under sweeping tobacco reforms.

Health Minister Jillian Skinner this week announced she will introduce NSW Tobacco Strategy legislation, banning smoking in all commercial outdoor dining areas from 2015.

Under the tough new laws, pubs could be forced to set up designated “no food” smoking areas or even ban food from beer gardens to ensure diners don’t inhale second-hand smoke.

Ms Skinner said smoking-related illnesses accounted for about 5200 deaths every year and cost the NSW economy about $8 billion a year.

“The distress and cost that smoking inflicts on families and the burden this imposes on NSW’s health system, is simply not acceptable,” she said.

But the ban will not come into effect until March 2015 because of the Memorandum of Understanding struck with ClubsNSW in which the coalition agreed to “uphold existing smoking restrictions”. Smoking will also be banned in playgrounds, sports grounds and swimming pools.

‘The aim of this is to reduce the number of people who are smoking, and to reduce the exposure to people, particularly children and families, of third-party tobacco smoke,” Ms Skinner said.

GEORGE Skepevski believes the new smoking laws will have little or no effect on his business.

The owner of Aroma’s at Crowne Plaza Terrigal said he had a designated smoking area but patrons would soon adapt to the new rules.

“As they did when pubs and clubs forced their smokers into special areas, they will cope,” Mr Skepevski said. “We don’t have a high percentage of smokers among our clientele - perhaps 5 per cent.

“But this will inconvenience them and no business owner likes to see his customers inconvenienced.

“I have no doubt that our customers will adapt and smoke before or after their meal away from the cafe.

“If it is a law they will abide by it. I can’t see it affecting our trade at all.”