2004 Changes to Queensland's smoking laws: Is the infrastructure for implementing the law keeping up with the changes?
by Stuart Ball, Surfrider Foundation (Australia) General Manager 2004 & the web team.

The Surfrider Foundation of Australia has been fighting cigarette butt littering since 1998 with the 'Hold On to Your Butt Program':

• Education services are provided to encourage smokers to think about the consequences of Butt littering

• Smokers are encouraged to 'Hold On To Their Butt'

• Portable ashtrays are given away and a more 'up market' model of personal ashtray is for sale

• We consider there is a market for a gold and diamond jewellry type portable ashtray as a fashion accessory (like a good cigarette lighter.)

• Stickers are sold to encourage smokers to dispose of their butt responsibly

'Much of this work, which is very beneficial to the community at large, may be undone in a series of policy changes from government,' said Mr Stuart Ball the General Manager of the Surfrider Foundation of Australia.

'When the last reign of law changes were introduced, smokers were forced to smoke outside. The building owners failed, in many cases, to provide receptacles for disposal of ash, matches and butts. Reports came in of new areas where smokers were congregating and the lack of ash trays caused piles of cigarette butts to be visible on the ground. The butts are left to poison our waterways and to kill marine life,' he said.

'The Queensland Government's recent announcement to provide further bans and restrictions on where this habit can be performed, is to be encouraged, but it has left the Foundation wondering whether the changes have been accompanied by arrangements for proper disposal of cigarette waste,' a concerned Mr Ball noted.

• What do the Queensland government believe will happen?

• Will the building providers and local government be expected to pick up the tab for providing an ash tray emptying service?

• Have we even heard of plans to provide ashtrays?

• Have we learnt anything at all from the last round of changes and the lack of foresight to provide such a service?

• Will the law be changed to ensure that smokers are required to carry a portable ashtray at all times? ( similar to dog walkers who have to carry a dog waste collection plastic bag).

• Will the local government be targeting and fining smokers for butt littering in order to finance this service?

• How many people have been fined in Queensland for butt littering in the past and was there any change in the figures after the last law change?

'At this stage, one of predicted results of the changes will be more butts on the ground and eventually washed on to beaches!' Mr Ball said

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Butt Out