New Smoking Laws

Yay, all enclosed licensed premises are smoke free from today! That includes pubs, clubs and gaming rooms... well unless you're stinking filthy rich. No surprises there, we all know there's one law for the rich and another for the rest of us.

As you can probably tell I'm not a smoker and I'm glad to see this new law come in. I might even be tempted to go out more often now that I won't come home smelling like a chimney. However I don't think they have gone far enough. Smokers are still permitted to light up in out door dining areas (except for when there's a roof as well as walls that cover more than 75% of the wall area) - how lame. Screw any of us who would like to enjoy alfresco dining as in - the fresh air; outdoors.

I'm also concerned with the littering aspect. Cigarette butts are already one of the most common forms of litter with an estimated 4.5 trillion butts littered every year worldwide! The Victorian Government, to their credit is offering $300 with a Butt Rebate Scheme through Sustainability Victoria. Hopefully most businesses will jump on board.

On a lighter note, some people are taking this opportunity to quit, such as Jess McGuire. You can follow her struggle on the ABC website. Good luck Jess.

Oh, and I do take a little pity on the smokers. The depths of a Melbourne winter is not the most kind time of year to introduce this new law. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr