SUMMARY: MAIN ARGUMENTS & EVIDENCE

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Secondhand smoke causes serious and potential fatal health harm  www.ashaust.org.au/SF’03/health.htm
Secondhand smoke is a highly toxic, carcinogenic air contaminant. The overwhelming weight of credible research and health authorities right up to the World Health Organisation and the US Surgeon General (2006) agree: it increases death risk and causes or aggravates (in both smokers and non-smokers): heart disease, strokes, many cancers, respiratory disease including emphysema and asthma, meningococcal disease, sexual and reproductive harm, and much more.

Secondhand smoke is especially harmful to hospitality workers   www.ashaust.org.au/SF’03/health.htm     See latest under HARM TO WORKERS
Pub, club and gambling room workers (including contract musicians and entertainers) are especially at risk because of the levels of, and repeated/continuous nature of, their exposure. They are very worried about smoky workplaces which violate their Occupational Health and Safety rights. The ACTU and hospitality unions (LHMU, MEAA and Musicians’ Union) support total indoor bans and full separation of smoking from working areas. 

Partial smoke bans are not an adequate solution    www.ashaust.org.au/SF'03/partly.htm  
Some states have persisted with partial solutions involving "outdoor" or "unenclosed" areas which are in fact mostly- or partly-enclosed, some still requiring employees to work in them. There is good evidence these areas will continue to cause preventable diseases and deaths. Any remaining smoking areas should be substantially unenclosed, separate and unserviced - as in Queensland and Tasmania. See table at www.ashaust.org.au/SF'03/law.htm   Public opinion clearly supports this (see below).

Ventilation and separation do not work   www.ashaust.org.au/SF’03/ventilation.htm
Approaches to the problem based on ventilation or separate areas do not provide significant protection, says all independent research. As well as being ineffective they are expensive to install and run and tend to make proprietors resistant to total bans because such capital input would then have been wasted. The tobacco industry has promoted these “solutions” through hospitality industry channels in an attempt to stave off smoke bans.   

Smoky workplaces are unlawful under existing Australian law   www.ashaust.org.au/SF’03/law.htm
They contravene OH&S laws which place a legal obligation on employers to provide a safe workplace and to take reasonable steps to remove dangers. They also undermine anti-discrimination laws in effectively barring people with smoke-affected disabilities such as heart and respiratory conditions and diabetes.

The community strongly supports total indoor smoke bans in licensed venues ASAP   www.ashaust.org.au/SF’03/support.htm
Many surveys from all over Australia show overwhelming and increasing community support for this measure. A majority of regular pub/club patrons and a majority of smokers also support it. Support is highest among 18-24 year olds – despite AHA predictions of “youth rebellion”. Public opinion does NOT see mostly-enclosed rooms as an adequate solution.

Health leaders strongly support total indoor smoke bans in licensed venues ASAP   www.ashaust.org.au/SF’03/partners.htm
In Australia, strong supporters of this measure to be implemented as soon as possible include: the Chief Medical Officer of the Federal Health Department, the AMA, the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission, the Cancer Council, the Heart Foundation, the Asthma Foundation, medical colleges and many more.

Smokefree venues will not harm hospitality trade   www.ashaust.org.au/SF’03/economic.htm
Tobacco companies have sought to influence some hospitality industry associations (including the Australian Hotels Association) to scare proprietors with exaggerated predictions of lost business and jobs. Worldwide and Australian independent objective research shows smokefree polices do NOT harm hospitality trade. Almost 80% of Australians don’t smoke; those attracted by smoke bans outnumber those deterred 3:1. Hospitality trade has boomed after bans in California, New York and Ireland, and early results from Australian bans suggest a similar result. Gambling revenue hiccups are offset by longer-term client diversity as families return to venues. Smoke bans will save on air-conditioning, fires, insurance, cleaning... and of course costly legal actions. Pub and club managers are concerned about the health risks and accept that bans are inevitable.  See  www.ashaust.org.au/SF’03/support.htm

Smokefree venues and smokers’ rights   www.ashaust.org.au/SF’03/smokers.htm
Smoke bans do not ban the smoker – just the smoke. It’s your legal right to operate a chainsaw – but not to wave it around in a crowded bar. Over 80% of smokers say in surveys they want to quit – this may be the extra incentive they need. Research says total indoor bans especially encourage younger smokers to quit. Most smokers quite reasonably accept that while they may have the right to smoke, they don't have the right to inflict harm on others.

Smokefree venues lead to clear health benefits   www.ashaust.org.au/SF’03/effective.htm
Smokefree workplaces help dramatically reduce smoking rates and provide clear-cut health benefits, say studies from around the world. They quickly and significantly improve the health outlook of hospitality workers. They do NOT lead to more people smoking at home.

Smoke bans will help gamblers
All enclosed or partly-enclosed gambling areas should be made smokefree in the interests of the health of staff and patrons. These should include "high roller" rooms currently exempted in some states. Exploiting nicotine-addicted gamblers is not ethically defensible for either businesses or governments.  
Smoke bans will improve gamblers’ health, says SA research.   www.ashaust.org.au/SF’03/files/SAtaskfceSubm0305.doc  See point C, p. 7       Smokefree gaming rooms will also help prevent gamblers getting into worse financial hardship.      www.ashaust.org.au/SF'03/economic.htm    

World trend towards smokefree workplaces   www.ashaust.org.au/SF'03/news.htm
More and more countries are moving to introduce total indoor smoke bans in all workplaces including pubs and clubs - while some Australian states and territories lag further and further behind these best practices.

Smokefree workplaces: no more exemptions, no more delays. 
“It’s about health – and it’s about time.”

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