New rules for Australian smokers

One of Australia’s biggest states has launched a major anti-smoking crackdown – introducing new laws making it harder to buy cigarettes at pubs and clubs and banning smoking near organised events for children. 

New legislation will be introduced to Queensland parliament on Tuesday in a bid by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s government to stop the illegal sale of cigarettes outside stores. 

The proposed laws will also include the introduction of a licensing scheme so that only ‘fit and proper people’ can sell cigarettes, and banning smoking from carparks near schools, outdoor markets and events organised specifically for children. 

The state government will also introduce tougher restrictions on cigarette sales in licensed venues, such as pubs and clubs. 

Cancer Council Queensland chief executive Andrew Donne said while the adult smoking rate had more than halved in the past two decades, smoking remained a leading cause of death.

Cigarette vending machines are set to be a thing of the past in the Sunshine State

‘Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease, with one in five cancers attributable to tobacco use,’ he said.

Public Health Association of Australia chief executive Terry Slevin said many in the community thought ‘tobacco control is done’.

‘It is not, and there is still more to do,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Ms Palaszczuk has vowed to expose the truth about e-cigarettes through the process of a parliamentary inquiry.

‘This a big issue out there, everyone is talking about it,’ she told Today on Monday morning.

‘Young kids are vaping in primary schools, high schools and of course adults and a lot of people think what they’re vaping is safe,’ she said.

Studies have found vapes contain a cocktail of toxic chemicals, including nicotine – the highly addictive substance also contained in cigarettes.

The Palaszczuk government is also launching a parliamentary inquiry into vaping (a young man vapes above) 

The Premier said she had heard reports that one vape could contain the equivalent of 50 cigarettes.

‘We want the facts on the table,’ Ms Palaszczuk said.

‘I want the health professionals to come forward and the companies to disclose what is actually in their products.’

Ms Palaszczuk said the government planned to make changes to the way vapes were sold to make it easier to for police to enforce the law.

‘I think parents need to sit down and have an honest conversation with their children about this and I hope this parliamentary inquiry will allow them to be able to have those discussions when the truth comes out,’ she said.

The laws will be introduced to parliament on Tuesday.