Smoke-free Outdoor Eating Areas

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Health Industries) (14:08): Thank you, sir. I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I compliment you, sir, on the House of Commons brocade today—very fine. To reduce the number of people smoking in South Australia, I am introducing smoke-free outdoor eating areas in our restaurants, pubs and clubs from 1 July 2016. I also intend to reintroduce funding to quit smoking mass media campaigns from 1 July this year.

In 2013, smoking prevalence rose significantly to 19.4 per cent, up from 16.7 per cent in 2012. Banning smoking in outdoor dining areas by July 2016 will help protect the health of our community. We aim to reduce exposure to potentially harmful levels of tobacco smoke for nonsmokers and people working in the hospitality industry.

On 2 March 2011, the former minister for mental health and substance abuse announced that the government's clear ambition is for 100 per cent smoke-free outdoor eating and drinking in South Australia, and we want to achieve that by 2016.

The government has been working with the hospitality industry to progress smoke-free outdoor eating areas in South Australia. In 2011, the government wrote to 6,000 South Australian liquor licensed premises and all local councils encouraging them to take voluntary steps towards providing smoke-free establishments.

On 9 August 2013, I released the Smoke-Free Outdoor Eating and Drinking Areas Discussion Paper. Forty five submissions were received. The majority of submissions supported introducing smoke-free outdoor eating areas at hospitality venues. Population surveys show a high and increasing level of support for restrictions on smoking in outdoor eating areas. In 2011, 91 per cent of the community supported some form of smoking restriction in alfresco dining areas. By 2012, this had increased to 93 per cent supporting a ban.

South Australia and Victoria are the only Australian jurisdictions currently without smoke-free outdoor eating areas, or legislation to introduce them. It is now time for South Australia to make the change. Some concerns were raised in the discussion paper about the business impact on pubs and clubs, but research shows that a long-term reduction in revenue from the introduction of outdoor smoke-free regulations is unlikely.

When smoke-free enclosed areas were introduced to hotels and clubs in South Australia, research found no impact on monthly turnover. However, I recognise that the hotel industry in particular has invested in outdoor alfresco areas after the banning of smoking inside hotels. That is why we are allowing time for the industry to adapt to the new measures. The 2016 commencement date will ensure a smooth transition by allowing hotels to plan separate outdoor drinking areas where food is not served, if that is what they wish to do.

I also intend to reinstate funding for the anti-smoking social marketing campaign. High levels of social marketing correlated with a decrease in smoking prevalence, but since we ceased social marketing last year smoking prevalence has risen. It is appropriate to respond to this increase by reintroducing a social marketing campaign. This will begin in July. Together, these actions will help South Australia to meet national targets, including the National Healthcare Agreement performance target of reducing the national smoking rate to 10 per cent of the population and halving the Indigenous smoking rate by 2018.