Tough new ban on smoking, vaping

Smoking and vaping will be banned at popular outdoor areas in South Australia from Friday, with fines for those who flout the law.

The no smoking and vaping zones will be expanded to include outdoor swimming pools, children’s sporting events, and beaches near patrol flags and jetties.

It will also include outside shopping centre entrances, childcare facilities, schools and hospitals.

It comes after laws were introduced to protect the community from passive exposure to tobacco smoke and vape exhalant.

Anyone caught out in the banned outdoor zones face on-the-spot fines of $105 and penalties of up to $750 if prosecuted.

The new smoking and vaping prohibited outdoor public spaces include:

• Outdoor public swimming facilities, and within 10, of the entrance;

• On beaches between and within 50m of patrol flags and within five metres of jetties;

• At and within 10m of schools and childcare settings;

• At and within 10m of non-residential building entrances, such as entrances to shopping centres, government and commercial buildings;

• At public hospitals and health facilities, private hospitals and within 10ms of their boundaries;

• At major event venues declared under the Major Events Act 2013; and

• At and within 10m of playing and viewing areas during organised under-18 years sporting events.

A Clearing the Air advertising campaign has also been launched to explain how the new laws will work.

Another campaign titled Vape Truths will also be launched in mid-March.

Health Minister Chris Picton said smoking was the biggest preventable killer and cause of disease, while the rates of young people vaping and becoming addicted was alarming.

“South Australians want to enjoy their public spaces, including outdoor pools and kids’ sporting grounds, free from harmful tobacco smoke and e-cigarette vapour,” he said.

“Our new Preventive Health SA agency will continue the important work of reducing the dangerous effects of vaping and smoking.

“I’m pleased that our advertising campaigns are helping get the message across to young people and their parents that vaping, just like smoking, has huge health risks.”