Page 3929 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 23 October 1990
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The fund is operating effectively and approval of more than $400,000 worth of expenditure to health, sports and arts bodies has already been given. We are continuing negotiations with the groups that are affected by the ban to make the transition to the new arrangements easy.
The recent establishment of an ACT Tobacco and Health Co-ordination Group, comprising representatives of the Community and Health Service, the National Heart Foundation, the Cancer Society, Canberra ASH, the Public Health Association, the AMA and the Department of Education, has been another successful addition to our armoury in this area. The group is developing an ACT tobacco and health strategy, building on this legislative base, and addressing issues such as educational and preventive programs and, of course, cessation services in a coordinated fashion. We hope to have that strategy finalised by May of next year - that month containing World No Tobacco Day.
I think Mr Moore made reference to the question of smoking in restaurants. I am happy to indicate what it is the Government intends to do in this area. The Bill does not deal with the issue of smoking in restaurants. The capacity to effect the provision of no smoking zones in restaurants is dealt with in public health legislation and that will be the vehicle by which the Government will effect any change should that be necessary. However, the Government's first choice in this area is to permit restaurants in the ACT to voluntarily self-regulate. I have spoken with representatives of the catering industry. I acknowledge the problems in achieving this objective but am enthused by their willingness to see the spirit of the program implemented. I am confident that, in fact, those restaurants, or the restaurant industry which represents them, will make every effort to ensure that the self-regulation regime is successful and avoids the need to proceed to regulation.
It was announced in April that we would be taking this action. The intention of the Government is to set aside voluntarily no smoking zones in restaurants in the order of some 30 per cent of restaurant space. The representatives of the industry, I believe, are capable of working in with that framework and I am cheered by the progress made so far.
Mr Speaker, I have on my desk some examples of some of the things that the ACT will be seeking to deal with in this legislation. For Hansard's benefit I will not try to describe them. It is certainly the case that confectionery designed to resemble cigarettes, toys designed to resemble cigarettes and things of that kind make a significant contribution towards normalising the smoking habit among children and I am particularly keen to see that part of the legislation enacted quickly so that that influence on young people is removed.
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