It is now an offence to smoke in cars carrying children anywhere in Australia, with the Northern Territory becoming the final state or territory to apply the ban.
NT Health Minister Robyn Lambley referred to high rates of smoking among among Indigenous Australians when justifying amending the Tobacco Control Act.
“Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, and early death among Indigenous Australians,” she said.
“Smoking is responsible for one in every five deaths. That’s staggering. One in every five deaths among our Indigenous people.
“We continue to work to battle this habit which causes profound health problems.
“The Australian Government recently announced funding cuts of over $130 million over five-years to the tackling indigenous smoking program.
“It beggars belief as to why they would do that.”
The offence comes into force in December and will attract an on-the-spot fine of two penalty points ($298) for the driver or any passengers of a car with children under 16.
A magistrate would be able to impose a maximum fine of 20 penalty points ($2,980).
Smoking rates in the NT were the highest in Australia, and the habit caused 170 deaths every year in the jurisdiction, according to a 2013 report by the NT Tobacco Advisory Committee.
At least half of all Aboriginal men and women smoked, according to the Menzies School of Health Research, and smoking was responsible for 21 per cent of the life expectancy gap for Indigenous men.