How you can play a role in tobacco control in Tasmania
If you are concerned
about the health of Tasmanians and the impact of tobacco use then the role of
Nominated Officer could be for you.
Nominated Officers are
volunteers that assist with the enforcement of the tobacco control provisions
contained in the Public Health Act 1997. The position was developed when people
expressed an interest in being involved in tobacco control activities when the
Public Health Act 1997 was first introduced.
Role:
- Assist with the provision of advice and information to the
public and tobacco retailers on the requirements of the Public Health Act
1997 ; and
- report possible breaches to the Department for
investigation.
This role is limited to
the reporting of any observations made in an officer's day-to-day life. As an
example of the type of involvement that would be expected, if an officer was
dining at a local restaurant and observed customers being allowed to smoke in a
smoke free area they could either advise the licencee/manager at the time of
the breach and that a report would be submitted to the Department; or
alternatively not say anything but refer the matter to the Department for
follow up.
What is involved?
Nominated Officers are
appointed by the Director of Public Health under the Public Health Act 1997.
To become a nominated
officer you will need to complete an application form including the names of two
character referees and a reason for submitting the application. Applicants are
also asked to specify their areas of interest and concern from the following
options - smoke free areas, underage smoking, point of sale displays or all
areas.
When an application has
been approved by the Director of Public Health, applicants receive an official
appointment and are provided with training in the area or areas of interest
indicated on the application form. The focus of training is to ensure that the
nominated officer is fully aware of the legislative requirements relating to
their chosen area or areas of interest.
In reality nominated
officers may not observe many breaches of the tobacco control legislation but
even if at the least only one report is provided to the Department for
investigation, nominated officers are still contributing to the enforcement of
this very important public health initiative.
Further Information:
For
further information, please contact a Tobacco Control Officer.