Smoking bans imposed on outdoor dining areas in South Australia from 2016 and extended to more public places

Outdoor eating areas in South Australia are now smoke-free during meal times.

Smoke-free outdoor dining laws came into effect in South Australia in 2016 and the ban was extended to more public places.

The state government moved in 2108 to strengthen South Australia’s tobacco laws after a South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) survey of 3,000 South Australians revealed 66.4% of respondents had been exposed to someone else’s cigarette smoke in the past two weeks, compared to 63% in 2016.

Smoking was banned in South Australian public outdoor dining areas at any time food was available, while pre-packaged snack food such as nuts and crisps were exempt.

Smoking continued to decline in the community, with South Australia also reporting one of the lowest smoking rates among Aboriginal people in Australia.

Beachside Henley Square also joined smoke-free public places during 2016. It was part of other venues and events banning smoking, including the Royal Adelaide Show (since 2012), WOMADelaide (2017), covered transport stops and 10m within children’s playgrounds (2012), all SA Health services (2010) and prisons (2015).

A total enclosed public place smoking ban, taking in enclosed areas of hotels and eateries, was introduced in South Australia in 2007. It was illegal to smoke in the car while children (under 18) were in the car.

Data from the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute showed that, across the whole South Australian population, the smoking rate in 2015 declined from 20.5% in 2010 to 15.7% in 2015.

Smoking among people aged 15 to 29 went down from 22.9% in 2010 to 16.9% and among those with a mental illness declined from 34.5% in 2010 to 26% in 2015 Women were realising the dangers of smoking during pregnancy, with that rate declining to 10.1%.