1 Mar 2012

Smoking ban for Pacific Arts Festival news to Solomons organisers

5:31 pm on 1 March 2012

The director of this year's Festival of Pacific Arts in Solomon Islands says he wasn't consulted on a smoking ban the health ministry is imposing on the event.

Robert Au says 3,000 participants from 22 countries are expected at the festival, which is the 11th since the event's inception in 1972.

He says none of the other festivals he's attended have been smokefree but his board will be working with the ministry to see if such a ban can be applied.

"There was no consultation with us actually when the Act was being drafted and it was news to us when we heard and when it appears in the paper and when it appears on other regional media that it will be a no-smoking festival for this coming festival."

Robert Au says the ministry of health has asked the festival's organisers to attend a meeting to discuss the implications of the ban.