The Victorian government intends to ban smoking in all outdoor dining and hospitality areas across the state.

It also plans to create smoking-free zones outside entrances to all public buildings.

Health minister David Davis said different outdoor smoking bans were in place throughout Australia, and the state government would consult on the model to be applied in Victoria.

The ban would ensure that anyone preferring to eat in the open air could do so in comfort, and ensure the right example was being set for children, he said.

“This is a significant and necessary step in protecting the Victorian community from the harms of smoking,” Davis said on Monday.

“Evidence shows there is strong community support for further efforts to protect children from exposure to the damaging effects of smoking.”

Public health advocacy groups supported the moves. “Victorians can all breathe a little easier today knowing that Victoria has committed to putting public health first by creating smoke-free drinking and dining areas,” Quit Victoria’s tobacco control policy manager, Kylie Lindorff, said.

The Cancer Council cited its survey of 4,000 Victorians, which found one in five would visit cafes and restaurants more often if outdoor smoking bans were introduced. It said 49% of respondents said they had avoided an outdoor dining area in the past year due to smoking.

“Workers in outdoor hospitality areas are entitled to an environment free of smoke, and the announcement today puts that finally within grasp,” Cancer Council Victoria’s chief executive, Todd Harper, said.

The precise details of the proposed ban remain unclear, and the legislation will not be tabled before the election on 29 November.

Davis could not name the date the ban would come into effect, other than to say it would “certainly” occur in the next term.

It is also unclear how the change to smoking laws will affect outdoor drinking areas.

“It will apply to areas where there’s dining, and the matters around drinking will be worked out steadily in this process,” Davis said.

Source:  The Guardian - 4th August 2014