Will this be enough to deter smokers?

While some Australian states have had tough smoking laws for years now, there are others who are quite far behind when it comes to making public entertainment areas healthy and safe environments. However an amendment to the New South Wales Smoke-Free Environment Act 2000 will change this from July onwards.

The last time I was in Sydney I spent the day in meetings at cafes and restaurants second-hand smoking. It was awful. As an ex-smoker I not only found it difficult but also largely inconsiderate – was I that bad back in my day? I sure hope I wasn’t blowing smoke into the fresh air in front of others’ faces that people have a right to breathe.

While it might be a difficult pill to swallow for those in New South Wales, in Queensland there has been massive bans on smoking for a long time and to be honest, I believe it’s for the better.

The Northern New South Wales LHD Health Promotion Manager Jillian Adams said today, “There is strong public support for making outdoor dining areas smoke-free and a number of businesses have already voluntarily banned smoking in their outdoor dining areas, with positive results.”