Outdoor drinking not in Vic smoking laws

The state government is sticking by its plan to ban smoking in Victoria's outdoor dining areas, but not its outdoor drinking areas.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy says the proposal, which she hopes to be in force by August 2017, is a "really sensible, proportionate response".

Ms Hennessy understood some would say the proposal fell short of the mark but said others would also accuse the government of being a nanny state.

Health and hospitality advocates say the government's reforms lag behind those in Queensland, which have tightly restricted smoking in outdoor drinking areas since 2006.

"It is not acceptable that a small group of our population is forced to work in an unsafe environment," Cancer Council Victoria chief executive Todd Harper said.

"It's hard to understand why there would be hesitation."

But the health minister said the Queensland laws still allowed patrons to smoke and drink in designated areas that are up to 50 per cent of a beer garden.

"Where that is contained, hospitality workers are having to go into those particular areas to clear up," she said.

Jess Walsh, Victorian secretary of hospitality union United Voice, said smokefree dining and drinking would benefit businesses.

"We know from research that more and more Victorians will come to hospitality venues if they are fully smoke-free," she said.