Beach areas, jetties, shops and sports venues to be vape-smoke free

New vaping and smoking laws, plus new fines, have come into effect – see where you can and cannot vape.

Smoking and vaping in popular outdoor public spaces including jetties, parts of beaches and outside shops will be banned from Friday, with new fines to help enforce the law.

From March 1 no-smoking and vaping zones will include outdoor swimming pools, children’s sporting events, beaches near patrol flags, jetties, outside shopping centre entrances, childcare settings, schools and hospitals.

People caught smoking or vaping in banned outdoor zones will face on-the-spot fines of $105 and penalties of up to $750 if prosecuted – in a bid to protect the community from passive exposure to tobacco smoke and vape exhalant.

New bans on vaping will come into effect March 1. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

SA’s new smoke and vape prohibited outdoor public spaces include:

• Outdoor public swimming facilities, and within 10m of the entrance.

• On beaches between and within 50m of patrol flags and within 5m of jetties.

• At and within 10m of schools and childcare settings.

• At and within 10m of non-residential building entrances, such as entrances to shopping centres, government and commercial buildings.

• At public hospitals and health facilities, private hospitals and within 10m of their boundaries.

• At major event venues declared under the Major Events Act 2013.

• At and within 10m of playing and viewing areas during organised under-18 sporting events.

The new zones significantly increase the number of outdoor places in SA where smoking and vaping is banned, in addition to smoke-free laws which include outdoor dining areas, playgrounds and public transport shelters.

A “Clearing the Air” advertising campaign will explain how the new laws will work, before a second burst of the “Vape Truths” campaign kicks off in mid-March.

Science presenter Dr Karl Kruszelnicki will feature and deliver messages about the risks of vaping.

Dr Karl Kruszelnicki will feature in a campaign about the risks of vaping. Picture: Steve Baccon.

Tackling the “public health emergency” of vaping will be a focus of a new prevention agency launched this week.

Preventive Health SA combines Wellbeing SA and parts of Drug and Alcohol Services SA in a single independent agency, with former Wellbeing SA head Marina Bowshall appointed interim chief executive.

Its prevention priorities include tobacco, vaping, obesity, mental health, suicide prevention, alcohol and other drugs, and the determinants of health.

Health Minister Chris Picton said: “We make no apologies for stamping out vaping and smoking in a range of public outdoor spaces.

“Smoking is our biggest preventable killer and cause of disease and the rates of young people vaping and becoming addicted is alarming,” he said.

“South Australians want to enjoy their public spaces, including outdoor pools and kids’ sporting grounds, free from harmful tobacco smoke and e-cigarette vapour.”

Drug and Alcohol Services of South Australia Clinical Director Dr Victoria Cock said it is becoming clear vapes are dangerous and can contain even more nicotine than cigarettes.

“The nicotine in one vape can be equal to 50 cigarettes, or even more,” she said.

“We need to do all we can to both limit passive smoking and get the message out that vaping is highly addictive and could be very damaging to your health.”