Smoking laws set to get tougher in Queensland amid vaping concerns
By Sean Parnell
Drinking could be banned in the dedicated smoking areas of pubs, clubs and casinos in an attempt to compel more Queenslanders to quit cigarettes.
Designated outdoor smoking areas (DOSAs) could also be moved further away from other patrons, and young people banned from mingling with adult smokers, under proposals released by Queensland Health for public comment.
Queensland is considering another crackdown on smoking.Credit:AP
“DOSAs contribute to second-hand smoke exposure, with Queensland Health data showing that in 2018 almost one million Queenslanders (946,000) spent time in a DOSA, and more than half were non-smokers,” the department said in a discussion paper.
“Smoke-drift from DOSAs into other areas also occurs with data showing two in three patrons reporting smelling smoke in non-smoking areas.”
“The presence of a DOSA is reported to make it more difficult for people who have recently quit to remain non-smokers. Queensland Health data found the presence of a DOSA makes smokers more likely to smoke (64 per cent), and less confident to resist smoking (51 per cent).”
The discussion paper lists a combination of no drinks, smoke-free buffers and no minors in DOSAs as the department’s recommended approach.
Pubs and clubs could be forced to restrict smoking even further.Credit:AAP
“This option does impose costs on licensees, and to achieve compliance it is assumed that all venues will be required to make adjustments,” the department said.
“The costs of these adjustments will vary according to the venue design and available space and will range between no cost for relocation of furniture to more substantial costs for structural changes or installation of a buffer screen.”
The department is also considering a ban on smoking at outdoor markets, instead requiring DOSAs, and also creating a smoke-free buffer around outdoor eating and drinking places.
For suppliers, wholesalers and retailers of smoking products, including e-cigarettes, the department is considering a tougher regulatory and licensing regime. This could lead to licences being cancelled for serious breaches.
Queensland’s adult smoking rate decreased from 24 per cent in 1998 to 10 per cent in 2020.
Vaping is popular among young people.Credit:Getty
“While there has been success in reducing the negative effects of smoking, significant challenges and risks remain,” the department said.
“Queensland has the second-highest smoking rate for current adult smoking in the country and smoking is the single most preventable cause of morbidity and premature mortality in Queensland, no other single risk factor contributes as greatly to the burden of preventable death and disease, or to health inequity.
“There are new challenges which threaten to erode success in reducing the negative effects of smoking. E-cigarettes have emerged to broaden the smoking product market and are promoted as less harmful, contained in attractive packaging, and supplied in an array of interesting flavours.
“While evidence on the safety and efficacy of these products continues to develop, there is now sufficient data that e-cigarettes are not without harms to health, and that they pose a significant risk for creating a new generation of Queenslanders for whom smoking and regular nicotine use is normal.”