Australia to Consider Smoking Ban Expansion

The proposed new smoke-free areas include childcare centers, youth sporting events, eldercare facilities, bus stops and public pools.

October 21, 2015

CANBERRA – The Australian Parliament will look at legislation to increase the number of locations where smoking is banned, the Brisbane Times reports. Health Minister Cameron Dick has plans to introduce the bill in November during the last sitting of the governmental body for the year.

New smoke-free zones will include bus stops, childcare centers, children’s sporting events, eldercare facilities, pedestrian precincts next to state government offices and public pools. The legislation also would ban smoking in designated outdoor areas on Parliament House balconies.

“If we are going to be a government that stands by our decisions about smoking outside government buildings, then parliament house needs to reflect that as well,” said Annastacia Palaszczuk, an Australian politician and current Premier of Queensland. “I know some people are going to be upset.”

Meanwhile, Australia has been fighting a growing tide of illegal tobacco shipments. Last week, the Australian Border Force (ABF) recovered thelargest shipment of illegal tobacco (more than 70 tons) ever seized in a single operation Down Under. The cache would have brought in millions on the black market.

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