Finding a legal spot to light up in Queensland just got a whole lot harder, with some of the toughest smoking laws in the country coming into effect.

As of today, lighting up will be outlawed at or near childcare and aged care facilities, bus stops and taxi ranks, public pools, children's sporting venues, skate parks and outdoor malls.

The sale of tobacco products from pop-up retail outlets, such as at music festivals, has also been banned.

The laws passed through Parliament in February.

Health Minister Cameron Dick said it was about changing attitudes.

"Queenslanders have led the way — we've gone from 30 per cent of people smoking daily 15 years ago down to 12 per cent — I'd like to get that under 10 per cent," he said.

Mr Dick said the smoke-free buffer around all non-residential building entrances had been increased from four to five metres.

"These laws are a breath of fresh air for Queensland," he said.

"They're among the toughest anti-smoking laws in Australia and they're going to help make Queensland healthier."

From next February, smoking will also be banned within 10 metres of campsites, picnic areas and boat ramps.

Dr Margaret Young, the director of the Wide Bay Public Health Unit, said smokers would be educated about the new rules before fines kicked in from January.

Dr Young said the laws would help reduce the risk of passive smoking in public areas.

"Places where children under the age of 18 are playing and participating in sporting events," she said.

Cancer Council Queensland spokesman Professor Jeff Dunn said two out of every three smokers would die from the habit.

"This puts Queensland at the forefront of tobacco control globally," he said.

"They're some of the most progressive tobacco-related laws around the world and as Queenslanders, we should be proud because these laws will save lives."

Professor Dunn said the intention of the laws were to protect people, both smokers and non-smokers, in public places.

"Certainly what we know is each day in Queensland one of us dies from passive-related smoking — any one year 370 Queenslanders die from tobacco-related disease and they've never smoked a cigarette," he said.

Queensland Heart Foundation chief executive Stephen Vines said the changes could not have come at a better time of year.

"With these new smoking bans people will be able to walk, skate, swim and play sport without exposure to other people's smoke," he said.

"Evidence shows that laws to ban smoking in public places helps people to quit and protects non-smokers from exposure."