Smoke-free report stubs out hospitality fears

Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor said he was delighted a report out today confirms that the ban on smoking in the workplace has been a great success.

The Smoke-free Environments Amendment Act 2003 introduced a smoking ban in all indoor workplaces and hospitality venues from 10 December 2004 to help protect all New Zealanders from the harmful health effects of second-hand smoke.

One year on from the introduction of the law the Health Ministry report, The Smoke is Clearing: Anniversary Report 2005, has found no overall downturn in bar retail sales, tourism or employment. It also supports the significant health benefits for bar and restaurant workers and customers, and confirms strong public support.

"It's great news for the hospitality industry and in particular its workers." Mr O'Connor said.

"The law was always going to have a big impact on people's health, by drastically cutting back on the second-hand smoke people have long been forced to inhale."

"But the report also demonstrates that bars and restaurants are not being put out of business as the doomsayers had forecast. Far from it."

Mr O'Connor said the report backs up what most New Zealanders already knew – that the law simply makes sense.

"We're not surprised by the findings because New Zealanders have embraced this shift to smoke-free workplaces, which will result in better health.

"We've had less than a quarter of the number of complaints than Ireland did for their smoke-free law changes in 2004, from a similar sized population. That is a good sign that the legislation is well understood and accepted, and the hospitality industry can take a lot of credit for communicating the key changes to patrons and staff."

Other findings include:

• A significant increase in non-smokers going to bars since the law change, while smokers have continued to visit at pre law-change levels.
• A reduction in levels of second-hand smoke exposure in indoor workplaces from 20 per cent in 2003 to 9 per cent in 2005 – potentially saving up to 100 lives per year.
• Signs of less second-hand smoke in other environments, such as homes and places with children, in line with international experience.
• A strong rise in public support and awareness.
• Support for people who work in pubs, bars and nightclubs to have a work environment free of second-hand smoke has increased from 79 percent in 2003 to 91 per cent in 2005.
• More than 80 percent of people believe it is not okay to smoke around non-smokers, including children.

The report is a combination of results from studies about attitudes, second-hand smoke exposure risks, economic data and patronage trends since the law came into effect. It backs up the findings of an Asthma and Respiratory Foundation report released on Thursday.