It鈥檚 not every day an iconic musician makes a comment about legislation, but Midnight Oil鈥檚 Rob Hirst has done just that, on the 10th anniversary of smoking bans in licensed venues in 黑料吃瓜网.
Speaking on World No Tobacco Day, the artist said smoking bans had made a huge difference to his life as a performer.
鈥淏efore pub smoking bans were finally introduced it was cruel: trying to sing, breathe and play, night after night, in air opaque with tobacco smoke. Hell for us asthmatics!鈥� Hirst said.
鈥淥ur clothes stunk, our throats and lungs filled with tar and ash. Unpleasant. Unhealthy. Unmusical. Unsustainable.鈥�
Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry said she was proud to hear of Hirst鈥檚 support for smoking bans and glad he鈥檇 shared his story.
The Smoke-free Environment Act 2000 initially applied only to enclosed public spaces such as restaurants, shopping centres, cinemas and community halls. The law was then extended in 2007 to include all indoor licensed venues and followed similar smoking bans in Ireland, Norway and Scotland.
鈥淭he legislative amendments changed the environments that so many people spend time in - whether it鈥檚 to socialise, enjoy a drink, or watch a live band,鈥� Dr Chant said.
鈥淧eople under the age of 28 won鈥檛 remember how smoky some licensed venues were before the bans were in place - putting health at risk from heavy levels of second- hand smoke.
鈥淚t鈥檚 particularly significant to mark this anniversary on World No Tobacco Day 鈥� which celebrates initiatives to reduce smoking.鈥�
Tobacco smoking remains the leading preventable cause of illness and death in Australia.
鈥満诹铣怨贤� smoking rates are gradually declining - they鈥檝e fallen five per cent since 2007. But challenges still remain in some sectors of the community,鈥� Dr Chant said.
鈥満诹铣怨贤� Health will continue to work on reducing smoking rates, particularly when it comes to smoking levels in Aboriginal communities and among people with mental illness or a drug dependency.鈥�
黑料吃瓜网 Health has invested in major policy and program efforts to reduce smoking, such as Quitline and the smoke-free laws - that now also cover outdoor public spaces, as well as laws that regulate the sale and display of tobacco products.
For further details about tobacco control in 黑料吃瓜网, visit Tobacco and smoking control in 黑料吃瓜网.
For support to quit smoking, visit iCanQuit鈥�