Crunch time for smoke-free pubs and clubs

It's crunch time in NSW for smoke-free hospitality workplaces. 
NSW Cabinet met last week on the issue and were apparently 
deadlocked.

The Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU) points out 
that there is majority community support for the ban; all the 
health leaders have been vocal on the issue; but still the NSW 
Cabinet is delaying.

The NSW Minister assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer), 
Frank Sartor, has publicly accepted letters from 400 NSW doctors 
calling for an end to smoking in pubs and clubs by the middle of 
next year.

Australian Medical Association (NSW) President Dr John Gullotta 
handed over a giant cigarette box crammed full of letters, plus a 
petition from more than 1300 patients also supporting a ban.

Thanks to a strong campaign by Tasmanian LHMU members, that state 
will introduce a ban at the end of next year. Queensland will 
follow suit six months later.

"With five NSW pub workers dying of tobacco-related diseases 
every month, there's no time to waste. We plead with the NSW 
Government to introduce a ban as soon as possible", Dr Gullotta 
said.

"It's all about saving lives and ensuring a safe workplace for 
all workers."

Jazz violinist George Washing machine is a non-smoker who 
regularly performs in smoky pubs and clubs. After a gig last 
week, he used a kit from the US to test the levels of cotinine (a 
by-product of nicotine) in his urine.

After just a couple of hours performing, he registered a 2 on a 
scale of 0-6. A regular smoker would register a 3 or higher.

"It's pretty disgusting to think my lungs are soaking up that 
much smoke night after night", he said. I can certainly feel it 
in the back of my throat after a gig and even my violin stinks of 
smoke.

"I made a choice to be a non-smoker, but it seems my choice 
counts for nothing."

A ban is inevitable, but the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) 
is still trying to delay it by arguing that a ban would be bad 
for business and jobs would be lost.

Dr Gullotta said numerous peer-reviewed papers in the US had 
found bans had a neutral effect at worst. In many cases, business 
was better than ever.

"The only 'research' that found a negative impact was sponsored 
by the tobacco lobby — and we know their track record for 
twisting the truth", he said.

"Claims of job losses and pubs shutting down because of bans 
overseas are absolute rubbish. California has had a smoking ban 
in restaurants and pubs since 1998 and the sky hasn't fallen in. 
Revenues from restaurants and bars in California rose almost 50 
per cent between 1995 and 2001.

"By the end of 2001, there were also 140 more bars operating than 
in 1997, before the smoking ban was introduced. Yet, somehow the 
AHA would have us believe a ban would be an economic disaster 
here."