According to recent reports by Australian media outlet Perthnow, non-smokers are calling for stricter controls on smoking in private properties, amidst the national crackdown on illegal smoking devices and e-cigarettes.
As of January 1st, the federal government has implemented new measures to crack down on the import of disposable vaping devices. The regulations surrounding cigarette smoking, however, remain a separate system, despite hefty taxation in the market, cigarettes can still be readily purchased at any time.
According to reports, Perth resident Maggie Snell and thousands of petitioners are strongly advocating for a change to increase measures for protecting others. Ms. Snell claims that the inadequacy of protection for non-smokers is a public health issue that officials should take responsibility for addressing.
Maggie Snell, a local resident living in Basington, has been significantly affected in her life due to her asthma, and she claims that her condition has worsened since her new neighbor began smoking near their shared property boundary. According to Snell, she has been relying on medication, including steroids, to alleviate her asthma symptoms.
Doctors have been unable to comprehend why we couldn't control the asthma until our neighbor left for approximately three weeks," she said. "During those three weeks, I didn't have any asthma." Mrs. Snell has since retired, and she stated that the secondhand smoke coming through the boundary walls made it difficult for her to breathe.
I cannot breathe indoors and I cannot escape the smoke," she said. "Unless we can prevent our neighbors from smoking there, I will die from emphysema, as all studies clearly indicate that I will develop heart disease." Ms. Snell stated that current regulations prevent her from fighting back, constituting a permanent reliance on medication and steroids to alleviate her breathing difficulties.
She hopes to see government intervention and regulations on smoking in private properties - ideally limited to only areas that are at least 10 meters away from any neighboring properties or boundary lines including windows, entrances, or ventilation openings. She argues that on any property that cannot meet this requirement, smoking should be restricted to enclosed spaces.
Snell's petition, launched in September last year, has received over 2000 signatures. Caitlin Kameron, Senior Coordinator for Policy and Research at the Western Australian Cancer Council, who is spearheading the anti-smoking campaign, stated that exposure to tobacco smoke is a known cause of asthma and wheezing.
Cameron also noted that many complaints about the spread of secondhand smoke in private properties primarily occur in properties with individual ownership, such as apartment buildings and offices. The Cancer Council strongly supports smoke-free regulations to reduce secondhand smoke exposure in high-density residential areas. However, these proposals were not included in the 2020 property ownership regulations in Western Australia.
Secondhand smoke exposure has no safe level," she said. "The Cancer Council has strongly advocated for the adoption of smoke-free model regulations to reduce secondhand smoke exposure." In October 2022, a department in New South Wales defined smoke dispersion inside residential apartment buildings as a hazard, after hearing witness testimonies and medical documents from citizens and administrative departments, ultimately banning neighbors from smoking tobacco products on balconies.
According to a spokesperson from the Department of Health in Western Australia, there are currently no legal restrictions on smoking in private residences across Australia. However, individual strata companies have the power to implement regulations to prevent smoking. "Individuals experiencing smoke drift may wish to seek independent legal advice on this matter," they said. "If they live in a strata-titled property, they can raise this issue with their strata company or strata committee.
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