Qld: Smoking in hotel bars to be banned

AAP General News (Australia)
04-02-2001
Qld: Smoking in hotel bars to be banned

MOOLOOLABA, Qld, April 2 AAP - Queensland hotels will be given 12 months to ban smoking
in bars under tough anti-tobacco legislation to go before state parliament tomorrow.

Premier Peter Beattie said today the legislation would ban smoking in a wide range
of enclosed places including hotels, restaurants and cafes.

The new laws would be phased in over 12 months to allow hotels and restaurants to make
the necessary adjustments.

Mr Beattie said it would be difficult to ban smoking in outdoor cafes, but he urged
owners to set aside non-smoking tables in their open air areas.

"Smoking kills more than 3,000 Queenslanders every year - that's 10 times the road
fatality rate," Mr Beattie said.

The premier said many hotel and restaurant owners had agreed to support the anti-smoking
laws and some already were phasing in the restrictions.

Club Queensland, which represents more than 1,000 licensed clubs in the state, also
supported the move.

Health Minister Wendy Edmond said tobacco advertising in shops would be restricted
under the new laws.

"They are going to have to get rid of all the displays and bunting and free giveaways,"

Ms Edmond said.

Shelves packed with cartons of cigarettes for sale would also be stopped.

"Stores will be limited to one carton per type of cigarette on display, we won't see
whole walls of cigarettes for sale," Ms Edmond said.

The placement of self-service vending machines also would be restricted to limit access
by children.

As well, the maximum penalty for a retailer who sells cigarettes to a person under
18 would increase from $975 to $5,000, she said.

Ms Edmond said the new legislation was the result of long consultations with the parties
involved.

AAP geb/kj/sc/apm/bwl

KEYWORD: SMOKING QLD

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