Auckland karaoke bar fined under Smokefree Environments Act

The Ministry of Health, in conjunction with Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS), has successfully prosecuted Chunsun Group Limited for repeated violations of the Smokefree Environments Act.

Chunsun Group, trading as Top Two Karaoke, was fined $5000 late last month for three counts of allowing customers to smoke inside their premises. The bar had received two warnings in 2010 and 2012 for similar behaviour. In February 2014, after receiving more complaints, an ARPHS compliance officer interviewed the owner, where he admitted that people had been smoking inside his premises.

ARPHS Medical Officer of Health Dr Denise Barnfather welcomed the convictions.

“Ten years after bars and restaurants were made smokefree, most premises have embraced the change. In our experience, however, karaoke bars are among the worst offenders in Auckland for letting customers smoke indoors.

“This prosecution sends a message to other offenders that exposing staff and customers to serious dangers from second hand smoke will not be tolerated.

“ARPHS will continue to monitor Auckland bars for compliance, and will continue to take any breaches of the Smokefree Environments Act very seriously,” says Dr Barnfather.

ENDS

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