[Intl-tobacco] Western Australia Govt announces smoking bans

[robert weissman]

WA Govt announces smoking bans
ABC
November 28, 2004

The Western Australian Government has announced tough new smoking bans.

Health Minister Jim McGinty says smoking will be banned within five metres
of all government buildings from January 1.

It is understood the package to be announced by Premier Geoff Gallop will
also include a timetable for banning smoking in hotels and clubs.

Mr McGinty says the Government has called for a report from health officials
on how smoking can be reduced or banned in jails and psychiatric
institutions.

He says the days of seeing people congregate at the entrance of government
buildings for a cigarette are numbered.  "Those cancer clubs will become a
thing of the past," he said.

"People will not be allowed to smoke within five metres of the entrance of a
government building, now that's whether it's a courthouse, a hospital or any
other government office building."

The president of the WA branch of the Australian Medical Association, Paul
Skerritt, says the new laws are long overdue.

Dr Skerritt says the ban on smoking within five metres of government
buildings will be effective.

"As we all know, there are little clusters of kinda pathetic smokers
huddling outside in the rain outside all sorts of buildings, not just
government ones," he said.

"They're the die-hards and a lot of people will give up smoking rather than
do that.  So every restriction that you put on like that makes some people
give up smoking, which is good for their health."

Dr Skerritt says he hopes a ban on smoking in clubs and pubs is introduced
quickly.  "We think that July 2005 would be ample time for the pubs and
clubs to organise themselves," he said.

"In fact, it could be tomorrow and all they'd have to do would be to get
some no smoking signs.

"But to give them the benefit of the doubt and allow them to train their
staff to tell people gently not to smoke and customers to get used to it,
but we think six months would be plenty of time.

"I would really be disappointed if it was longer than that."

But he says any move to ban smoking at psychiatric institutions could prove
difficult to enforce.

"Prisons might be a bit difficult as well," he said.  "It's a pretty tough
life having to be in prison and I think having to deal with a withdrawal
from a very powerful addiction might be a bit difficult.

"I don't know if that would be very productive but the rest of it sounds
fine.