Media release: August 7, 2007
The
SmokeFree Australia coalition of employee and health groups* has accused the AHA
of making “inaccurate, exaggerated, unsubstantiated and misleading” claims
in its July member newsletter Hotel News.
Reporting
on comments of a visiting Irish Republic rural hotel industry representative,
the newsletter claims smoke bans in the Republic of Ireland in 2004 have led to:
1.
non-compliance and lost trade;
2.
more domestic fires “because drinkers would prefer to stay at home and
smoke inside”; and
3.
more problems with domestic violence because “patrons…
are less inclined to drink at their local”.
SmokeFree
Australia co-ordinator Stafford Sanders responded:
“First, there’s no credible evidence of any loss of trade to Irish
pubs from their smoke ban. Official figures show pub sales, falling before the
change, recovered afterwards to healthy growth**; and the Irish Office of
Tobacco Control reports 95% compliance.
“Second,
the suggestion of an increase in domestic fires is nonsense, though the AHA has
been claiming it for years. The Irish figures*** show there were fewer fires in
2005, after the ban, than in 2003, before it. That may be because the proportion
of smoking households has actually fallen since the ban.
“Third,
the absurd suggestion that the Irish ban has had an adverse impact on domestic
violence is directly contradicted by official figures #
showing granting of domestic violence orders in fact fell from 2003 to
2005.
“These
misleading statements come as the AHA and its allies continue their scare
campaign against Australian smokefree laws.
They’ve complained constantly in the media of terrible losses –
again, claims not supported by independent evidence, and contrary to ABS figures
showing minimal impact. ##
“In
NSW, the AHA has also tried to pre-empt a government review of the weak
regulations by falsely painting it as a ‘backflip’ – though the review was
long and publicly planned with the AHA’s full knowledge.
“These
claims continue a thirteen-year campaign by hotel and gaming bosses to delay,
weaken and now undermine smokefree laws aimed at protecting public health and
work safety. The AHA has raised hardly a peep about health, addressing itself
mainly to squeezing pokie profits from nicotine-addicted gamblers.
“With
this in mind, the AHA has lobbied strongly in some states to further undermine
smokefree laws by moving gaming machines into ‘outdoor’ smoking areas –
threatening the health of employees and patrons, and contrary to responsible
gaming principles. Some venues’ smoking areas are also offering video screens,
live entertainment, free gifts and other inducements – against the whole
intention of the smokefree laws.
“We
call upon all governments to resist these misleading claims, stop the rorts, and
do what the community wants: make
all remaining smoking spaces fully separate from working, eating and gaming
areas.”
**
see Irish Central Statistics Office figures at
www.ashaust.org.au/SF'03/files/IrishUpdate0509.htm
*** see www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublications/FireandEmergencyServices/
# see Irish Central Statistics Office figures at
www.cso.ie/statistics/domestic_violence.htm
## see Allens report to NSW government at
www.health.nsw.gov.au/legal/pdf/ris_final.pdf
pp.21-26
Comment:
Stafford Sanders, SmokeFree Australia
ph. (02) 9334-1823
m. 0412-070-194
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; Non-Smokers’ Movement of Australia; Australian Medical
Association; Asthma and Allergy Research Institute.