Smoking restrictions in national parks

Smoking restrictions apply on Queensland’s national parks. Smoking restrictions in parks are one of several Queensland Health initiatives to reduce smoking rates in Queensland, limit people’s exposure to second-hand smoke and make more outdoor places smoke-free.

Every year 3700 smokers in Queensland die from smoking-related diseases. Even passive smoking—breathing in the smoke from other people’s cigarettes—can adversely affect your health causing cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

For the benefit of all park visitors, smoking is now prohibited within 10 metres of most visitor facilities in national parks. This includes any picnic table, barbecue, shelter shed, toilet, campsite, information centre, jetty, landing stage (such as pontoons) or boat ramp.

It doesn’t mean you cannot smoke or use e-cigarettes when visiting parks—it means you cannot smoke or vape close to facilities that visitors use, where people commonly gather. These restrictions will protect the health and well-being of park visitors.

Smoking restrictions were rolled out as part of Queensland Health’s changes to smoking laws in the Tobacco and Other Smoking Products Act 1998, to make public places smoke-free. On-the-spot fines can apply.