Wagga acts to protect children, workers from smoke

Tuesday, 31 March 2009 00:00

Council backs smokefree dining against tobacco industry interference

Wagga Wagga City Council has been commended for standing up for the protection of children and workers from secondhand smoke, against an aggressive tobacco industry scare campaign.

The council has adopted proposals to ban smoking near children’s playgrounds and council building entrances, and in al fresco dining areas under council licence.

The move comes after extensive community consultation, and new research showing huge and increasing public support for all food service areas to be smokefree.

Tobacco giant British American Tobacco Australasia (BATA) wrote to Wagga Wagga City councillors last November, opposing the popular smokefree al fresco  move.  In the letter, BATA wrongly claimed that smokefree al fresco  dining would be “potentially crippling” for businesses and “very difficult” to enforce and was not fully supported by tobacco control experts.

Health groups including the Heart Foundation and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) made submissions to the council’s public consultation, supporting the proposed measures - backed by a wide range of health, medical, employee, child protection, church and local government organisations.

Said Stafford Sanders of ASH, and co-ordinator of the 40-group Protecting Children from Tobacco coalition and the 11-group SmokeFree Australia (workplace) coalition: 

“Wagga City Council has acted responsibly by rejecting tobacco interference in sensible health policy.

“These reforms are strongly supported by independent research evidence and by public opinion. They will help protect people - including children - from harmful secondhand smoke exposure in public playgrounds and eating places and near council buildings.

“They’ll also protect people working in these areas from repeated exposure to toxic and carcinogenic fumes in their workplaces.

“The changes will be welcomed by the community, as they have been across Queensland and in other local council areas where they’ve been adopted.

“Councillors have shown they put public health, occupational health and safety, and the protection of children ahead of narrow commercial pressure.”

  

Comment / media info:

Stafford Sanders, ASH Australia and Protecting Children, SmokeFree Aust workplace coalitions  
ph. (02) 9334-1823;  m. 0412-070-194