Educational facilities

Early childhood education and care facilities

Smoking is banned at early childhood education and care facilities and for 5 metres beyond their boundaries. This includes the use of all smoking products, including electronic cigarettes.

Early childhood education and care facilities are defined as land on which:

  • Approved education and care services under the Education and Care Services National Law (Queensland) Act 2011 are provided; or
  • Queensland approved education and care services under the Education and Care Services Act 2013 are provided.

The smoking ban applies at all times—during and after service hours, on weekends and during school holidays.

Family day care

Where an early childhood and education care facility is also a residential premises the law does not apply when the facility is not being used to provide an early childhood education and care service.

Schools

Smoking is banned at all Queensland state and non-state schools (school facilities), and for 5 metres beyond their boundaries and at all school carparks, including carparks located on adjacent council land that is intended for school community use.

The law applies at all times-during and after school hours, on weekends and during school holidays. It includes the use of all smoking products, including electronic cigarettes.

The law applies to all persons at schools including students, teaching staff, parents and guardians of students, other employees of the school, visitors and persons providing a service or volunteering, clubs and organisations accessing school facilities.

School facilities are defined as land on which a

  • state school provides education programs under the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006; or
  • non-state school provides primary education, secondary education or special education under the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2017; or
  • state or non-state school provides other educational instruction or activities, for example, sports grounds, including land that is owned or leased by the school.

Five metre buffer zone

The buffer zone is a no-smoking area around the perimeter of schools (school facilities) and early childhood education and care facilities. The buffer zone extends for 5 metres beyond the facility land boundary. This area does not extend into residential or business premises that share a boundary with school or early childhood education and care facility land.

Need more information?

Find out more

Call 13 QGOV (13 74 68) for:

  • information about Queensland's smoking laws
  • reporting possible breaches of the legislation for further investigation
  • information about current fines and penalties
  • free copies of no smoking signage.

Last updated: 15 November 2023