Below is a brief summary of law and policy on smokefree areas (indoor and out) in schools and hospitals in Australian states and territories. Please advise us of any changes.

Australian Capital Territory:  Smoking is banned from all public schools including grounds; and is not permitted in any area of an ACT Health facility, including grounds or car parks, other than in an approved designated outdoor smoking area.  See ACT Health info 

New South Wales:  Indoor areas smokefree under workplace laws – see NSW law and links
Outdoors, government school grounds are smokefree by department policy. Hospitals vary, working towards total bans but at various stages, with exemptions etc. More info: email tobacco@doh.health.nsw.gov.au 

Northern Territory:  All hospital premises and other Dept of Health and Families premises smokefree indoors and outdoors from 1/7/09 - with exceptions for some patients in designated outdoor smoking areas.  School indoor areas covered under smokefree workplace laws.  In the regulations, educational facilities can designate exempt areas provided majority staff agreement and that smoking areas are not accessible to or visible by children. 

Queensland:  Indoor areas are covered by workplace smoking bans. New Queensland Health Smoking Management Policy including smoking restrictions on Queensland Health facilities. Smoking is prohibited inside all Queensland Health facilities; outdoors clients, staff and visitors may only smoke in a single Nominated Smoking Place. See Qld government info  or email melissa_seibold@health.qld.gov.au.  More info on  Qld schools

South Australia: Indoor areas are covered under state smokefree workplace law. Smoking will be banned in grounds of all public hospitals from 31/5/2010. Schools' outdoor policies vary.

Tasmania: By law all indoor areas at hospitals and schools are smokefree. Areas within 3m of building entrance/exits and within 10 metres of air intake for ventilation equipment also smokefree.
All schools sites and all Education Department facilities are smokefree by departmental policy.
Public hospital policy is up to individual hospitals; the Royal Hobart Hospital site is smokefree and one of the other major hospitals is considering a similar policy.

Victoria: Victorian school grounds must be smokefree. Indoor workplaces covered by law. Hospital grounds policies vary. See Victorian tobacco strategy

Western Australia: Schools are covered by smoke-free regulations regarding workplaces and public places - but the Education Department has gone further, requiring school campuses to be smokefree. It's WA government policy (but not actually law) that all public health facilities - hospitals, mental and community health facilities - should be smokefree indoors and outdoors.

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Page last updated on 12/10/09