Public support for smoke-free commercial outdoor dining

NSW research shows strong community support for smoking bans in commercial outdoor dining areas and at entrances to public buildings by both non-smokers and smokers:

• four in five people support a smoking ban in commercial outdoor dining areas of restaurants, hotels, clubs and cafés
• four in five people support a smoking ban within 4 metres of a pedestrian access point to a restaurant, hotel, club or café
• seven out of ten people support fines being issued to those who fail to comply with the outdoor smoking laws.

There is a broad community understanding and concern about the harm caused by exposure to second-hand smoke:

• 73% of smokers agree that their smoking affects the health of those around them
  
• 82% understand that second-hand smoking is harmful
• 78% are bothered by exposure to other people's smoke.

Many business have expressed strong support for smoke-free dining. William Farrer Hotel publican says the smoking bans have not hurt business.

In the first 6 months of the ban, NSW Health Inspectors visited over 1880 venues offering outdoor dining and found 98% were smoke-free.​​​​