Wyndham residents and business owners are divided over the state government’s plan to force diners to butt out in outdoor areas.
The state government announced last year that smoking in outdoor dining areas at cafes and restaurants across Victoria will be banned from August 2017. It is now in the process of determining whether the ban will apply just to dining areas or more broadly.
Quit Victoria is urging the government to ban patrons from lighting up in outdoor drinking areas, too, as is the case in Queensland.
A Star Weekly survey of Watton Street business owners revealed mixed views.
Trish Schweizer, the owner of Il Piccolo Caffe, said the plan was outrageous.
“How dare they? Everybody is entitled to do what they want, within reason,” she said.
“I agreed when they banned smoking indoors, but to ban smoking outdoors is just ridiculous.”
Ms Schweizer suggested allocating outdoor drinking and dining areas to smokers, far enough away from non-smoking patrons so they are not affected.
Jaffa Espresso Bar owner Hai Truong said he was “on the fence” about the ban.
“For some people, smoking while drinking a coffee is just what they do,” he said.
“But I definitely get why they’re doing it. I’ve got kids and there’s nothing worse than having somebody smoking nearby in the company of a child,” Mr Truong said. He said he was confident the bans would not affect his business.
Mario Muraca, the owner of Bruno’s Deli, questioned how the government planned to police smokers and who would be telling them to butt out.
“I hope they don’t expect me to tell people to stop smoking,” he said. “I reckon it’s all about freedom.
“Don’t get me wrong, I can’t stand smokers, but people should be able to do what they want outdoors.”
Quit survey shows support
A recent survey, conducted by Quit Victoria, found that 22 per cent of Victorians said they would visit cafes and restaurants more often if an outdoor smoking ban was introduced.
Five per cent said they would visit less frequently.
The director of Quit Victoria, Sarah White, said the findings demonstrated overwhelming public support for “comprehensive protection” from tobacco smoke when people were both dining and drinking in outdoor areas.
“Victorians expect to be able to socialise outside without being subjected to second-hand smoke, irrespective of whether they are having a sandwich or coffee,” Dr White said.
A survey conducted by the state’s Health Department found that 17.7 per cent of Wyndham residents were smokers.
That is two per cent higher than the state’s average.
