Australians approve government ‘no-smoke’ drive

The World No Tobacco Day today coincides in Australia, with the first anniversary of the introduction of state government laws to ban smoking near playgrounds and at bus shelters.

The past 12 months had seen over 100 people slapped with $75 fines and a further 276 cautioned for flouting the bans.

In a bid to widen the ban, local authorities across several states in Australia have been pushing for more smoke-free areas, a measure supported by a significant majority of citizens.

According surveys around by the authorities around 30 per cent wanted all public areas to be smoke free while 12 per cent wanted smoke-free zones outside shops, hospitals and restaurants.

A survey of 70 clubs aimed at gauging support for a blanket smoking ban at council sports grounds revealed, a total smoking ban at their grounds received support from only six of the 20 clubs that responded.

According to a report by a local council authority, its staff did not have the time to police such a ban as most matches were played on evenings and weekends, and staff had recommended clubs instead pursue internal policy changes in relation to smoking within clubs.

Of the 20 clubs that responded, a total smoking ban at their grounds received support from only six.

There was almost universal agreement that passive smoking constituted a health hazard and that smoking in front of children set a bad example. Smoking though was not illegal not yet anyway.

Increasing the number of public areas where smoking was banned would only work if smokers were given areas where they could light up. Meanwhile, smoking rates in South Australia had fallen over 4 per cent in the past two years, according to figures.

Health minister Jack Snelling releasing the figures for today's World No Tobacco Day, said "the message is getting through".

He said South Australians were butting out when it came to smoking adding that over the last three years, there had been a concerted effort by both state and Commonwealth governments to encourage smokers to give up and to protect non-smokers from passive smoking.

According to figures, the SA smoking rate for people aged over 15 had dropped from 20.5 per cent in 2010 to 16.2 per cent in 2012.

Among South Australians aged 15-29, the rate had fallen from 17.3 per cent in 2010 to 14.8 per cent, with the most significant improvement among 45-59 years olds, where the rate dropped from 21.7 per cent in 2011 to 17.3 per cent last year.