I completely agree with you. At the rate we are going
it is going to take decades. There is too much money
in the industry and too many people (politicians and
people who's livelihood depends on it, and even
addicts themselves) who have vested interests in
keeping them around. Consider as well prohibition and
how well that worked. I can't help but feel that
someday our grandkids or their kids are going to be
thinking how stupid the people of this era were and
wondering as well why a problem so obvious took so
long to be resolved.
Heather W.

 --- Michael Talty <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >
Smoking bans in dining areas of pubs & clubs.
> Being a non-smoker and HCW I can only applaud it.
> The thing I find
> interesting is how long it has taken for such
> regulations to be put in
> place.
>
> This obvious progression of restrictions in public
> spaces has probably come
> about because of the successful case of a bar worker
> sueing her employee for
> smoking related illness resultant from employment.
> Suddenly there is an
> interest from hotel owners to reduce the risk and
> liability for the ill
> effects of the environment they provide in their
> hotel premises. An anti-
> smoking party member of parliament undoubtedly aided
> the bills transition.
>
> The recent local controversy regarding the social
> and financial problems
> associated with the easy access to gambling has
> resulted in recent
> legislation to curb the access to and environment in
> which the most common
> electronic machines are played.
>
> I asked 'what next' as a way of suggesting that both
> these problems have
> been obvious for years but its not until the
> interest of the stakeholders,
> hotel licences, politicians and the community are
> aroused will a
> significant- health promoting-change occur. What
> next for those who had been
> advocating this change? Will we be defending the
> encroachment of our smoke
> free areas in a few years when a new generation of
> smokers or the arguments
> of civil liberties win court battles protecting
> their rights? What will be
> the next major health issue and will we be ready to
> meet it?
>
> Health promotion to a new student like me is like a
> series of little
> battles. You need to know what you want to achieve
> and prepare for the
> battle, know who the enemy is and them wait for the
> best opportunity to
> advance into battle.
>
> Michael Talty
> Sydney
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Elizabeth Develin" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2001 7:23 PM
> Subject: Smoking in dining areas of pubs, clubs and
> nightclubs banned as of
> 6th September
>
>
> > Hello,
> > New introduced has been introduced in the state of
> New South Wales (NSW)in
> > Australia.
> >
> > The Smoke-free Environment Act 2000 requires most
> enclosed public places
> in
> > NSW to be smoke-free. Up until 6 September 2001,
> pubs, clubs and
> nightclubs
> > have been exempted from the legislation. However,
> from 6 September 2001
> > (today) certain dining areas of pubs, clubs and
> nightclubs will be
> required
> > to be smoke-free.This is not a blanket ban in
> pubs, clubs and nightclubs,
> > just a ban whilstfood is consumed in dining areas.
> Attached is a file on
> > how the Act applies to pubs and clubs etc which
> has been circulated by the
> > state health deppartment.
> >
> > I would be interested to hear from people in other
> countries about their
> > local legislation - and any thoughts on this new
> legislation in Australia.
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> >
>
_________________________________________________________________
> > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at
> http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
> >

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