Vic; Payout makes anti-smoking laws top priority - union
By Royal Abbott
MELBOURNE, April 14 AAP - The historic $700,000 damages payment to lung cancer victimRolah McCabe has increased the pressure on governments to outlaw smoking completely inworkplaces, the liquor workers' union says.
A new study released today by The Cancer Council Victoria has provided further evidenceof the harmful effects of smoking on bar staff, Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous WorkersUnion (LHMU) state secretary Brian Daley said.
The study, conducted last year on 1,078 workers from four industries, found hospitalityworkers were exposed to the heaviest concentrations of passive tobacco smoke.
It found sore eyes were the most common symptom workers experienced as a result ofpassive smoking at work.
The study was co-authored by Professor Alistair Woodward, an internationally recognisedexpert on environmental tobacco smoke from Otago University in New Zealand.
He said people exposed to smoking at work were more likely to have respiratory symptomssuch as wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, sore eyes, and sore throats.
Mr Daley said the Victorian government had proposed legislation which banned smokingin gaming areas of hotels and Crown Casino but allowed it in special exclusion zones.
These areas would have concentrated cigarette smoke and intensify the health risksfor workers, he said.
"Imagine the concentration of tobacco smoke in those places," he said.
"This may result in an outbreak of litigation against employers and even the Victoriangovernment following the successful $700,000 damages payout awarded to Melbourne womanRolah McCabe against British American Tobacco," he said.
The LHMU wants the Victorian government to make the hospitality industry totally smoke-freewithin 12 months and has called for a taskforce to ensure upcoming state legislation isfully implemented.
State Health Minister John Thwaites has indicated that up to 10 per cent of Crown Casinomay be excluded from smoking bans while hotels will be allowed smoking rooms or be allowedto have no smoke-free areas at all, Mr Daley said.
"There is no doubt that the environment exists for more people to sue as a result ofexposure to tobacco smoke," he added.
Mr Thwaites today told reporters the proposed bill would strengthen Victoria's reputationas a leader in terms of anti-smoking legislation.
He said the legislation was currently being finalised and would be introduced intoparliament in May.
He said he hoped its provisions would be up and running before the end of the year.
AAP ra/clr/jmd/de
KEYWORD: SMOKING
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