HORSHAM Rural City councillors have welcomed an amendment to the state’s tobacco laws, which will see smoking banned in all outdoor dining areas from August.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The changes to the legislation will also regulate the use of E-cigarettes and shisha tobacco in Victoria.
The ban will come into play on August 1 and will affect any outdoor areas at a hospitality business used for the consumption of food, such as beer gardens, footpath dining areas and courtyards, during food service times.
Mayor Pam Clarke encouraged smokers to think about giving up before the ban was introduced.
“This is further incentive for people to give up smoking,” she said.
Cr Clarke said her daughter-in-law was a severe asthmatic and the new legislation would help protect people with similar conditions.
“It’s important that one person can’t inflict significant damage on another, even inadvertently,” she said.
“I’m very much in favour of these changes.”
The smoking ban will also apply to all outdoor areas at food fairs, where the principal activity is the supply of food, and within 10 metres of food stalls and vans at organised outdoor events, including street festivals.
Drinking areas will need to be separated from outdoor dining areas by a distance of four metres or a 2.1 metre wall, which could be a plastic café blind.
The existing requirements for outdoor drinking areas will still apply to allow smoking to occur.
The consumption of snacks, such as crisps, chocolate and intact pieces of fruit, will continue to be permitted in outdoor drinking areas.
The new laws were also welcomed by Cr Alethea Sedgman.
“What a great change to protect the health and wellbeing of our community,” she said.
“It’s something I look forward to coming into play.”
Under the changes, the sale, advertising and use of shisha tobacco will be brought in line with other tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars.
The new laws also introduce regulation for E-cigarettes, making it illegal for an e-cigarette to be used in areas where smoking is banned.