__ Entire COUNTRY of New Zealand kicks pathetic lowlife smokers to the gutter where they belong !! __
Smokefree New Zealand Starts on Friday
New Zealand joins Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and Bhutan with clean indoor air
Parts excerpted from the Dow Jones Newswire, 12/8/04
On Friday, December 10, New Zealand will become the fifth country to implement
smokefree workplace legislation, joining Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and Bhutan.
New Zealand's law requires clean indoor air for all workers, including office,
restaurant, bar, and casino workers.
Bruce Robertson, chief executive of the Hospitality Association of New Zealand,
says he does not expect a significant financial impact. "Most of the leisure
industry is ready for the change," Robertson said.
Indeed, research conducted three years ago by local lobby groups, found that
clearing the air in restaurants and bars would be unlikely to harm revenues from
overseas tourists. Many such visitors are from countries such as Australia and
the U.S. where smokefree workplace laws have already been implemented, the
research stated.
Auckland-based casino giant Sky City Entertainment Group which dominates New
Zealand's $2 billion gaming industry says it is "fully prepared" to meet the new
smokefree legislation. "We've had a long enough lead-time, so we are as fully
prepared as can be reasonably expected," said Sky City Chief Executive Evan
Davies.
Stephen Wright, a financial analyst at ASB Securities, agreed, adding that
investors don't expect to see a big dent in Sky City's revenues. "Statistics
will show that in the longer term it probably won't make that much of a
difference," Wright said.
Joe Cherner, founder of BREATHE (Bar and Restaurant Employees Advocating
Together for a Healthy Environment), has advocated for clean air in localities
worldwide. "As smokefree workplace laws become the norm, people recognize that
smokefree workplace legislation is nothing more than a matter of respect and
dignity for workers," he said.
New Zealand's legislation, which had been debated for more than three years, was
passed into law late last year and gave employers one year to comply. New
Zealand's concerted march toward clean indoor air comes to fruition on Friday.
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