Media release: March 15, 2003
Call
for Irish pubs to go smokefree
for St. Pat's Day
... following Ireland's lead in banning smoking in pubs to protect staff
Australia’s
Irish pubs and clubs have been urged to follow Ireland’s lead on St.
Patrick’s Day (March 17) and declare their venues smokefree.
Ireland’s
political leaders have agreed on legislation which will see all workplaces
smokefree including pubs and bars by the end of the year.
“That
means if Australia’s Irish pubs and clubs want to be authentically Irish,”
says SmokeFree ’03 coalition spokesperson Terry Noone of the Musicians’
Union (himself of Irish descent), “then they should go smokefree at least for
the day – and hopefully for
good.”
Moves
towards clean air status by Irish pubs and clubs in Australia (such as smokefree
areas and special nights) have been met with customer approval – none
reporting any loss of trade.
Says
Terry Noone: “Going smokefree would be a great step forward for our
hospitality venues. It would be welcomed by thousands of hospitality employees,
including entertainers, who are now working in unhealthy conditions, breathing
polluted air for several hours each day or night.
“These
workers are enduring dangerous conditions which would not be expected in any
other industry. Governments should legislate to protect all workers and create a
level playing field for all workplaces, including pubs and clubs.
“It’s
clear under Occupational Health and Safety laws and the recent Sharp vs Port
Kembla RSL case that employers have an absolute duty of care to provide safe
workplaces. It’s time they met this responsibility – and Irish pubs could
lead the way.
“We’re
even offering a song appropriate to the occasion – a reworking called When
Irish Eyes Are Smiling (It’s Because We’ve Gone Smokefree). We’re
hoping our members will be able to sing it in Irish venues across the land on St
Pat’s – preferably in tune.”
See the song at http://www.ashaust.org.au/SF’03/files/IrishEyes.doc
Comment: Terry Noone, Musicians’ Union of Australia ph. 0409-405-657
Media
info:
Stafford Sanders
ph. (02) 9334-1823
SmokeFree '03 coalition:
Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers' Union; Musicians' Union of
Australia;
Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance; Australian Council of Trade
Unions;
Action on Smoking and Health Australia; The Cancer Council Australia;
National Heart Foundation of Australia; Australian Council on Smoking and Health