Smoking will soon be banned in all outdoor dining areas in Victoria while food is available.
The Victorian Government is committed to continuing the state’s strong history of tobacco reforms, to reduce the impact of smoking on the community and to protect the health and wellbeing of all Victorians.
From 1 August 2017, the Tobacco Amendment Act 2016 will amend the Tobacco Act 1987 to ban smoking in outdoor dining areas. The ban will cover all outdoor dining areas at restaurants, cafes, take-away shops and licenced premises.
Smoke-free areas are important as they:
- protect the community from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke
- make smoking in the community less acceptable - the less smoking people see in public places, they are less likely to think it is okay, rather than harmful
- support people who have quit or are trying to quit smoking.
The Victorian Government is working closely with local government, hospitality businesses and the wider community to ensure a smooth transition to smoke free outdoor dining.
Resources, including: industry guides, fact sheets and free new ‘No Smoking’ signage are available on the tobacco reforms website.
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