Brisbane smoking ban for Queen Street Mall

QUEEN Street Mall smokers face re-education before they are fined, says Lord Mayor Campbell Newman.
The Brisbane City Council today announced the Queen Street Mall and Albert Street cross mall will become totally smoke-free, with smokers facing $200 fines if they light up.
The move was welcomed by mall traders as well as the Cancer Council of Queensland.
CCQ ceo Professor Jeff Dunn said the ban would provide a'breath of fresh air'' for the city's heart.
"There is no safe level of smoking or passive smoking and we applaud Lord Mayor Campbell Newman and the Brisbane City Council for taking progressive action on tobacco control," Prof Dunn said.
The ban will affect the Queen Street Mall and Albert Street cross mall. The draft local law will come before council by the end of the month.
Police may have to help council officers enforce the regulations once they come in, Cr Newman said.
BCC Labor Leader Shayne Sutton said the full smoking ban was long overdue.
Cr Newman had earlier said he would favour no ban at all but would take his direction from community feedback. "While I am reluctant to introduce more laws, council's research and consultation feedback showed that 82 per cent of people wanted a total ban," Cr Newman said. There will be designated smoking areas away from the mall.
The law will have to go the State before being implemented by council some time next year.