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Pressure mounts for wider smoking ban

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There is growing pressure on Tasmanian MPs to amend Government legislation for a total ban on smoking in all enclosed public places.

There is growing pressure on Tasmanian MPs to amend Government legislation for a total ban on smoking in all enclosed public places.Government legislation to extend smoking restrictions to nightclubs, gaming areas and within one metre of a bar will be before Parliament when it resumes in late August.Premier Paul Lennon does not agree with prohibition and maintains the Government’s legislation is workable.MLC Jim Wilkinson has pledged to amend the legislation to ban smoking in all enclosed public places, saying “it’s a health issue not a business issue”.Unionist David O’Byrne, who represents hospitality workers, believes most of the Labor Party caucus also favour a wider ban.”If a conscience vote was called, [we believe] that the numbers for a total ban would be won easily,” he said.Tasmania’s Cancer Council says smoking in all public places, open and enclosed, will probably become a reality within five years.Council spokesman Lawson Ride says Parliament needs to amend the legislation to cover all enclosed workplaces as an important first step.”We’ve got hard evidence now that its potentially killing five Tasmanian indoor workers a year and that’s just not acceptable. We can’t delay on that any longer,” he said.”It’s not fair on the workers that they’re the only people who have to work in an unsafe environment.”(Source: ABC Health, July 2004)


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Posted On: 8 July, 2004
Modified On: 5 December, 2013

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