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Passive Smoking

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Speakers - Dyer The Hon Ron
Business - Questions Without Notice

PASSIVE SMOKING

The Hon. R. D. DYER: I refer to the question without notice asked by Reverend the Hon. F. J. Nile on 12 December 1995 concerning passive smoking, and in particular recommendations about the banning of smoking in cars carrying children. My colleague the Minister for Health has advised:
      The NSW Health Department advises that the National Health and Medical Research Council's working party on the health effects of passive smoking released a draft report in November last year.
      The draft report made a number of recommendations regarding the issue of passive smoking including that "legal prohibition of smoking in private motor vehicles during periods where minors are passengers should be considered by State and Territory governments". Also, the draft report recommended that "all States and Territories should adopt broadly based legislation dealing as far as possible with all exposures to tobacco smoke in enclosed or constricted public places".
      NSW already has legislation in place to prohibit smoking where food is prepared. A taskforce has been convened by the Health Department to identify and assess a range of strategies, including non-regulatory strategies, for eliminating exposure to passive smoke in areas where food and beverages are consumed.
      The draft National Health and Medical Research Council report states that "since the 1980s there has been a rapid escalation in the number of workplaces that have introduced restrictions of smoking in indoor work settings or made them entirely smoke-free". The Department has also advised that a range of other commercial enterprises, including major shopping chains such as Westfield Shopping Centres, have voluntarily adopted a smokefree policy for their premises.
      The NSW Health Department is currently considering options, including non-legislative options such as public education campaigns, to reduce the exposure to environmental tobacco smoke of passengers in private vehicles.





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