Smoking must be banned in all hospitality venues if workers' health is to be protected, the Cancer Society says. The comments followed the introduction into Parliament of legislation proposing a partial ban on smoking in cafes, bars, restaurants and casinos.
"Giving venues the option of allowing smoking in 50 per cent
of their public area will do very little to protect bar workers from the effects of second-hand smoke," said Cancer Society Health Promotion Programme Manager Liz Price.
"Smoking rooms would be ventilated - but there is no ventilation system available that can remove tobacco smoke to the point where it is no longer a health risk."
Ms Price said that around 400 New Zealanders died every year from lung cancer, heart attacks and strokes because of exposure to second-hand smoke. About 150 of these were exposed to second-hand smoke in their workplace.
"It is not acceptable for people to be expected to risk their health at work. Not everyone is in a position where they can simply find another job - and anyway, why should they have to?"
Green Party MP Sue Kedgley agrees the Bill is "an unsatisfactory compromise".
"The horrifying fact is that twice as much smoke is released directly into the air from a burning cigarette than is inhaled through the cigarette.
"And the equally horrifying fact is that cigarette smoke which all second hand smokers are exposed to, contains approximately 4000 chemicals -- 43 of which are known carcinogens."
She said the 5000 people working in the hospitality industry should not have to compromise their health in order to earn a living.
"And if protecting people in the workplace from the harmful effect of second hand smoke is the principal objective of the legislation, why would we postpone implementing key provisions of the legislation which would protect the people who are most exposed to the detrimental effect of smoke in their workplace -the bar and café workers -- until 2007?
Ms Kedgley said the Greens would support the bill, but seek to address what they considered to be its flaws during the select committee phase.
