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I'm in Australia and although I'm very happy these laws have come in, I would love to get some actual statistics on how many people have actually been fined for

I'm in Australia and although I'm very happy these laws have come in, I would love to get some actual statistics on how many people have actually been fined for smoking where they are not allowed to. I have never seen anyone fined for smoking in any of the places where it isn't allowed (sporting fields, bus stops, etc), and I see people smoking at these locations literally every single day - especially at bus stops. The whole legislation seems to be "smoke and mirrors". I'm in NSW, and there is a NSW Health website where you are meant to report places to investigate. I have done so about a couple of locations where people smoke where they're not meant to, and nothing has happened. People continue to smoke at those locations regularly. You never get a case number, or any indication whatsoever that anything has been done at all. Police do not enforce smoking bans, and will readily admit that their policy is not to. Even places as famous as the Manly Beach corso, where smoking is banned, have smokers there every day. Rangers there do nothing, and as I said police do nothing. I have spoken to a ranger on the only occasion I have actually seen one there, and he said that he "usually gives a warning". When pressed, he admitted that he had never actually fined anyone. Another glaring and infuriating omission to the smoking situation in Australia is in apartment blocks. My neighbour continues to smoke regularly, which comes right into my living room. Apparently I have no right to fresh air in my own living room, and have been told as much by the police. Smoking is not permitted within 4m of outdoor public eating areas, but my living/dining room is closer than 4m to my neighbor's balcony, yet I have no protection there. Why are the rights of smokers to smoke taken more seriously than the non-smoking majority's right to not inhale secondhand smoke? These laws need to have actual teeth, and be enforced. Addicts cannot be relied upon to do the right thing, or apparently even the bare minimum required by law.

SyneRyder 10y ago
While I don't think I've seen anyone fined, I've definitely seen people 'moved on' by police in Perth for smoking in the city center (at Forrest Place). I've also seen social pressure in Perth, people asking smokers nearby to put their cigarettes out even in areas where smoking is allowed. I'm a non-smoker and appreciate the cleaner air, but I find the bans weird when the city also allow pop-up flame grilled chicken vendors in the same space, putting out far more smoke than any smokers ever did.
davidlumley 10y ago
> I have never seen anyone fined for smoking in any of the places where it isn't allowed (sporting fields, bus stops, etc), and I see people smoking at these locations literally every single day - especially at bus stops. The whole legislation seems to be "smoke and mirrors". I'm from Brisbane and it's extremely common on Friday and Saturday nights to see police and council workers in pairs fining people in the city and similar suburbs who are smoking in incorrect areas, or who have thrown their butts on the ground.
- flukus 10y ago
  Queensland has the most retarded smoking laws. Can't by groceries and smokes at the same time, have to walk to the cigarette counter. Festivals where you can't take drinks into the smoking area. Pubs where you can't take a bowl of chips into the smoking area. Can't have an type of entertainment (TV) in the smoking area. If you smoke, don't even think of visiting Queensland.
  - kalleboo 10y ago
    Those smoking laws are strict, not "retarded".
  - angry_octet 10y ago
    They are designed to be as killjoy as possible. Sucks if you have an addiction obviously. But effective at a societal level. Give up the fags, it'll be the best thing you ever do for yourself. If you don't like patches, Zyban is quite effective and low side effect.
kbart 10y ago
You take much more damage by car and industrial pollution than secondhand smoke, so there's no need to overreact for neighbor smoking in their property. Don't get me wrong, I don't smoke and hate when somebody does that beside me, but all this "ban smoking 10 meter from anywhere" looks pretentious to me -- there are much bigger health hazards living in a city. I see smoking as a small nuisance, like a cars passing by a window at night and it's a price you pay for living with a bunch of other people around.
- angry_octet 10y ago
  People are confusing the smell, a signal from the part-per-million sensor on their face, with getting a harmful dose. Most people have never had a serious addiction, so they don't understand that smokers NEED to smoke.
  - brokenmachine 10y ago
    I don't care how you feel about smoking, I don't want to be exposed to it in my living room. If I can smell it, I'm exposed to it. There is no safe level of secondhand smoke [1]. I trust peer-reviewed studies over your "feeling" about what is harmful, and besides, the smell is disgusting, worse than literally any other smell I have experienced. I don't want that in my living room, plus it gives my partner asthma attacks. I don't think it's fair that someone should get asthma attacks because of someone else's addiction. Nobody needs to smoke anyway. There are many good options for quitting if you have motivation and willpower. [1] https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/tobacco/second-hand-smoke-fact-sheet#q6 https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/t...

SyneRyder 10y ago

While I don't think I've seen anyone fined, I've definitely seen people 'moved on' by police in Perth for smoking in the city center (at Forrest Place). I've also seen social pressure in Perth, people asking smokers nearby to put their cigarettes out even in areas where smoking is allowed. I'm a non-smoker and appreciate the cleaner air, but I find the bans weird when the city also allow pop-up flame grilled chicken vendors in the same space, putting out far more smoke than any smokers ever did.

davidlumley 10y ago

> I have never seen anyone fined for smoking in any of the places where it isn't allowed (sporting fields, bus stops, etc), and I see people smoking at these locations literally every single day - especially at bus stops. The whole legislation seems to be "smoke and mirrors". I'm from Brisbane and it's extremely common on Friday and Saturday nights to see police and council workers in pairs fining people in the city and similar suburbs who are smoking in incorrect areas, or who have thrown their butts on the ground.

flukus 10y ago
Queensland has the most retarded smoking laws. Can't by groceries and smokes at the same time, have to walk to the cigarette counter. Festivals where you can't take drinks into the smoking area. Pubs where you can't take a bowl of chips into the smoking area. Can't have an type of entertainment (TV) in the smoking area. If you smoke, don't even think of visiting Queensland.
- kalleboo 10y ago
  Those smoking laws are strict, not "retarded".
- angry_octet 10y ago
  They are designed to be as killjoy as possible. Sucks if you have an addiction obviously. But effective at a societal level. Give up the fags, it'll be the best thing you ever do for yourself. If you don't like patches, Zyban is quite effective and low side effect.

kbart 10y ago

You take much more damage by car and industrial pollution than secondhand smoke, so there's no need to overreact for neighbor smoking in their property. Don't get me wrong, I don't smoke and hate when somebody does that beside me, but all this "ban smoking 10 meter from anywhere" looks pretentious to me -- there are much bigger health hazards living in a city. I see smoking as a small nuisance, like a cars passing by a window at night and it's a price you pay for living with a bunch of other people around.

angry_octet 10y ago
People are confusing the smell, a signal from the part-per-million sensor on their face, with getting a harmful dose. Most people have never had a serious addiction, so they don't understand that smokers NEED to smoke.
- brokenmachine 10y ago
  I don't care how you feel about smoking, I don't want to be exposed to it in my living room. If I can smell it, I'm exposed to it. There is no safe level of secondhand smoke [1]. I trust peer-reviewed studies over your "feeling" about what is harmful, and besides, the smell is disgusting, worse than literally any other smell I have experienced. I don't want that in my living room, plus it gives my partner asthma attacks. I don't think it's fair that someone should get asthma attacks because of someone else's addiction. Nobody needs to smoke anyway. There are many good options for quitting if you have motivation and willpower. [1] https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/tobacco/second-hand-smoke-fact-sheet#q6 https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/t...