$1500 fine for smoking on the beach

From NEWS.com.au: $1500 fine for beach smoking

PEOPLE caught smoking on patrolled Queensland beaches from next year will be liable for fines of up to $1500 under penalties described today as the toughest in Australia.

Premier Peter Beattie and Health Minister Gordon Nuttall outlined fines for contravening new smoking restrictions to be phased in over a two-year period in Queensland from January 1, 2005.

Under the new legislation, to be introduced in state parliament this week, smoking will be banned in pubs, clubs and outdoor eateries, while strict new tobacco advertising and retail guidelines will also be brought in.

Smoking will also be restricted on patrolled beaches, in children's playgrounds, sports stadiums and building entrances.

Under the new laws, people caught smoking in restricted areas, either inside or outside, will be hit with $1500 fines, while licensees will be liable for fines of up to $10,500.

Only prisons and high roller rooms in casinos will be exempt from the laws.

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Soon they�re going to fine us for smoking in our own homes. Just wait and see.
It makes it possible for them to raid peoples homes to see if they smoke.

I don't smoke and I can't believe some of the things there trying to do. Here in Canada there trying to make it illegal to smoke in a car with kids.

They seem to be taking more and more rights away from us and the sad thing is we all sit back and let them do it,we need to fight for our rights.

I don't really view it as a rights restriction. Smokes by and large are slobs. Take a walk outside. Cig butts have become part of the landscape. You see them everyhere. From the beach, to the streets, and nothing pisses me off more than watching someone tap thier ahes out of thier car as if the world is thier ashtray. We need these level of fines in the states.

Originally posted by FredT
Cig butts have become part of the landscape. You see them everyhere.
nothing pisses me off more than watching someone tap thier ahes out of thier car as if the world is thier ashtray.

The ash isn`t bad at all. It`s actually good, and the nature loves it. I think that part of the hatred against smokers is misunderstood.

I agree with you on the cig butts, though.

And blowing the smoke in kids faces is bad.

As long as you`re not hurting anybody but yourself, I don`t think there should be restrictions. After all, just think about all the tax-money smokers provide to the society.

I do agree with you on cigerette butts everywhere it is gross. Here in Ontario you are not aloud to smoke in the work place and thats good.
But I don't think the gov't should say when your on your on time and home what you can and can't do its just one more step to control. What is the penalty for th kids if the parent gets caught smoking in car.....removing them from the home....nope don't agree with that law.

I smoke and I don't have a problem with this. I hate going to parks, hiking and what not and seeing butts and other trash strewn about. Pack it in-pack it out!

[edit on 18-10-2004 by Der Kapitan]

smoking cigarettes isnt very good anyways (no benefit) But theres another thing people smoke, that should be legal to smoke anywhere..what could it be?

Geeze Krackel I wonder what it is.........LOL
Legalizing pot I'm not sure about that my concern is the younger kids.
I think here now you get a fine if its under 30grams, which is good as far as this, your not tieing up the court system, that cost alot of taxpayers money and after 5 remands you only get probabtion just a slap on the hand. A fine hurts more

Next time your at a stop light of a busy intersection, look down at the sides of the road...

I think banning smoking in the portions of restuarants where food is served was an excellent idea...But I think cracking down on any and every place smokers go and slapping them on the wrist for doing something they choose to do is illogical and simply not condusive to anything...

My buddy tried to light up at a soccer field while we were watching my friend play...the guy who owns the field stopped him with the lighter centimeters from his cig telling him he had better go somewhere else without, b/c 4 fields over there's a high school soccer game going on and he'd be sending out the wrong message..

Half those kids probablly do and see far worse than smoking cigarettes....

There is a cut-off point on the endless stupidity, and I think we're beginning to reach it...


[edit on 10/18/2004 by EnronOutrunHomerun]

Originally posted by Hobby
Geeze Krackel I wonder what it is.........LOL
Legalizing pot I'm not sure about that my concern is the younger kids.
I think here now you get a fine if its under 30grams, which is good as far as this, your not tieing up the court system, that cost alot of taxpayers money and after 5 remands you only get probabtion just a slap on the hand. A fine hurts more

Yeah, but the problem is...America touts itself on "freedom" If were going to invade other countries for "freedom" then we had better be the most free country in the world. Meaning that you can do whatever you want as long as it doesnt hurt others. We cant go looking at children as victims, parents no longer take any responsibility, and not every aspect of society is based on the family unit, so children should not have to be every mans concern.

Hobby... you think it's unreasonable to ban smoking when there are kids in the car? They wouoldn't have to ban it if adults had any common sense at all. Smoke in a confined space (like a car) is extremely harful and has been proved so in numerous studies including some by the tobacco industry. I'm amazed it's taken this long.

Originally posted by krackel
smoking cigarettes isnt very good anyways (no benefit) But theres another thing people smoke, that should be legal to smoke anywhere..

what could it be?

I totally agree with you.
I wish there were more intelligent people like us in the world.
But the world might be overpopulated then. More sex and less war...

The sad thing is if people could be a bit more responsible about smoking you wouldnt have so many people pissed and calling for an outright ban. The whole ban on smoking in bars is straight up stupid, it should be at the owners perrogative, not the goverment. As for smoking on the beach, as long as people can put their buts in a can, bottle, container, or pocket and leave the beach clean, I don't think it should be an issue.

Hellmutt, i am aussie & i smoke. So does my wife she is a nurse. We don,t smoke in the house or the car, kids. 20 % of the population in Australia smoke.So they say.I have many mates who don,t smoke but have a couple of cigs in the pub Fri. night. Bludge them off me of course. In N.S.W. in 2007 it will be illegal to smoke in any pub or club or in fact, any inside area. Beaches too. It is illegal to drop the butts on the ground but sometimes it is hard to find somewhere to put them legally. Sometimes we take a container in my wifes bag to put them in. That option has been taken away on the beach. It is about ten dollars for a pack of 25 & something like three quarters of that goes to the government.It is legal to buy cigarettes over 16 but becoming illegal to take them out of the packet.We all know that smoking eventually kills some people. Genetic predisposition. My grandfather smoked rollies all his life. He lived till he was 90 & didn,t die of a smoke related disease. In N.S.W. they have injecting rooms so heroin users can inject safely. They don,t pay tax either. Any medical problem that i get from smoking i figure that i have already paid for the treatment. Probably some non smokers medical too.In 2007 people will just take their drinks & fags outside the pub. Oh i forgot, it,s illegal to drink in the street. The land of the Fri. night street party. How will they police that. Videos, security guards. Security guards on the beaches perhaps. Whats the comparison between a huge oil tanker spill & cigarette butt damage. Drink bottles, plastic bags, fertilizers. Oh, i forgot, non smokers use them. Every time a non smoker drives past my house in a car i tell my kids not to breath in. Why sell them ? Oh thats right, tax. Why not have proper ventilated areas in pubs. Why not have supervised areas at beaches. Oh, thats right, good money in fines. Gotta pay them non smokers medical bills & my kids medical bills from all that lead in the air & all those hormones you flush into the water system. Guess i,ll be adding 1500 bucks to the kitty. Nah, bugger it, i,ll do the gaol time. Non smokers tax pays for that.

I don't allow anyone to smoke in my house. Most parents would not smoke in a car closed in with there children its common sense.
Were not allowed to smoke in the bars here either and it hurt the small business. All I'm saying is that the gov't is taking our rights from us slowly. Were going to be forced to where computer chips under our skin so they know our every move if we keep letting them enforce all these restrictions.

Banning smoking in restuarants

I hate this. I am not a smoker, but used to be a very light one, and all I can say is that this is the government telling you how to run your private buisness.

If someone hates eating around smoking, go somewhere else or find a non smoking section.

As far as smoking in TRUE public places (as in not privatly owned) - as long as you throw your butts away I have no problem. If you don't, well, you should get more then a $1,500 fine

Originally posted by krackel
smoking cigarettes isnt very good anyways (no benefit) But theres another thing people smoke, that should be legal to smoke anywhere..

what could it be?

Even if they ever do make that legal to smoke by the time they do there wont be anywhere left legally to smoke it.

As for banning smoking I think one place should be left out of this little anti-smoking crusade BARS.

[edit on 18-10-2004 by ShadowXIX]

[edit on 18-10-2004 by ShadowXIX]