26 Nov 2011

Karaoke bar fined for allowing smoking

1:46 pm on 26 November 2011

A karaoke bar in Auckland has become the first restaurant or bar in the city to be prosecuted for allowing people to smoke indoors.

The bar's licensee Fanseco Limited has been fined $2600 in the Auckland District Court.

The prosecution was brought by the Ministry of Health and Auckland Regional Public Health and the Smokefree Environments Act.

An Auckland Medical Officer of Health Andrew Lindsay says officials received four complaints about the bar in just over a year.

He says it is disappointing the licensee ignored the warnings and continued to break the law.

Dr Lindsay says the prosecution reflects the serious view taken by the courts.

He says some of the complaints were made by members of the public.