On 1 July, Victorian smokers took their last gasp as the latest and perhaps most radical of the legislative reforms delivered by the Tobacco (Amendment) Act 2005 (Vic) came into effect.
The social custom of having a cigarette with a beer or wine has been heavily restricted, with the new laws prohibiting smoking in all enclosed licensed pubs and clubs, as well as outdoor dining or drinking areas that have a roof and walls which enclose more than 75 per cent of the total area. The move follows existing bans on smoking in restaurants and cafes, shopping centres, gaming venues, underage music and dance events and covered areas of train, tram and bus shelters.
The penalties for contravening the smoking bans include a fine of $110.12 and up to $550.60 if prosecuted. These figures apply to the financial year commencing 1 July 2007 and ending 30 June 2008 .
Research conducted by the Department of Human Services in 2004 revealed that more than 80 per cent of Victorians supported smoking bans on licensed premises; a sentiment which has continued to grow within the community according to more recent surveys from the Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer.
As well as protecting the patrons of licensed premises, the new laws also concentrate on those working in hospitality by providing them with a healthier and safer workplace.
According to Health Minister Bronwyn Pike, tobacco smoke is responsible for almost 4000 deaths in Victoria each year. The cost to tax-payers is more than $5 billion annually in health care and social welfare; 31.6 per cent of this amount includes tangible costs of absenteeism, health care and fires. The remaining 68.4 per cent represents the serious intangible costs associated with smoking, including health decline and, ultimately, the loss of life.
The economic benefit of reducing smoking rates has been a clear catalyst for the government’s intensive anti-smoking initiatives introduced over the last six years. Leading up to the implementation of the latest reforms, approximately $1.4 million was spent on an eight-week advertising campaign, which infiltrated TV, print and online media channels across the state.
The impact of the reforms on the hospitality industry itself is another issue. Whether the smoking bans will affect trade in licensed premises remains to be seen. In Tasmania however, where the same laws were introduced last year, the community and hoteliers have widely accepted the change. Furthermore, Minister Pike has cited research in which 26 per cent of respondents who regularly visit licensed premises expressed their intention to visit those premises more often when they became smoke free and 70 per cent said that the reforms will make no difference.
The only losers in the anti-smoking campaign appear to be the tobacco companies and, perhaps, the tobacco farmers. But the warning signs have been in place for some time now. Tighter legislative controls, combined with the continuing success of anti-smoking advocates such as Quit Victoria (a joint initiative of the Cancer Council Victoria, VicHealth, Department of Human Services and the National Heart Foundation) are certain to turn smoking into a dying habit. n
More information
From the LIV Bookshop Peddling Poison: The Tobacco Industry and Kids by C. Snell, $58.
Useful web links For more information about the reforms visit www.health.vic.gov.au/tobaccoreforms/new.thm
