Pub smoking bans leading to drunk ‘menace’?

Unsocial behaviour outside Hobart waterfront pubs

Tassie was the first state to introduce smoking bans in January 06 and it seems the bans have led to ‘congregations of smokers’ outside local hotels.

Ken Stronach, a ‘tourism chief’ who owns the franchise for Quest Apartments in Tasmania, including the Quest Waterfront, supports the ban but agrees it has resulted in people going outside to smoke and drink.

He says on Saturday and Sunday mornings, large amounts of broken glass, empty drink cans, bottles and other rubbish on surrounding footpaths and roads have to be cleared away and a large number of underage girls are getting into these bars.

Two or three times a week he says he has to scrub the walls, door entrance and surroundings to remove urine, vomit and graffiti, and try to pacify guests who have had their sleep interrupted. Fighting and other unsociable behaviour sometimes continues until 5am.

Sometimes guests are unable to get their cars out of the property’s garage because of people drunk and asleep in the garage entrance.

It seems hotel patrons are actually downing their drinks at a more rapid pace to get outside for a smoke. As you can’t drink on the pavement some say there is a danger that unattended drinks could be spiked.

The Tasmanian Cancer Council says experience shows the move will be both beneficial and overwhelmingly accepted.

Australian Hotels Association general manager Daniel Hanna agrees that since the ban on January 1 more people were outside licensed premises. He says underage drinking is a major issue and the Association’s position is that there are absolutely no circumstances in which it should happen.

Though the Tasmanian ban came into force in January the mainland states will not follow till next year.

What are your experiences and expectations?