See our new Smoke-free outdoor areas resource kit for councils

See our other  RESOURCES  for Local Government

Local councils can play a huge role in making communities safer, healthier and cleaner - by making local places (and their near surroundings) under council control smokefree:

• Playgrounds

• Beaches

• Outdoor ("al fresco") dining areas

• Parks

• Sporting facilities

• Council buildings

• Bus shelters

• Council-owned car parks

The arguments
For some of these areas, the health arguments on secondhand smoke in crowded outdoor or partly-enclosed areas are clear-cut - especially in dining or other staffed areas where workers are repeatedly or continuously exposed; or bus shelters involving extended waits in partly-enclosed areas. See  latest health evidence on outdoor areas   ... and more health research on secondhand smoke 

For some other spaces, the arguments are more on environmental fronts - for example, the butt litter problem on beaches; litter or fire risks in parks. In still other cases, there are safety or public amenity issues. And there is a concern to reduce "normalising" smoking in view of children.  

Reducing butt litter - what works and what doesn't

On the litter front, ASH encourages councils to be aware of the research on what kinds of measures actually reduce litter - most notably, extending smokefree areas. 

There is  evidence that public education / butt bin provision by itself, as promoted by tobacco industry-sponsored campaigns, does little good - though these may work well as parts of a broader strategy. See  Extended Producer Responsibility report 2005-2006    p. 21: “impact of current activities funded by cigarette manufacturers has not delivered a reduction in butt littering.”    

Tobacco companies have used "responsible disposal" strategies as part of a lobbying strategy against councils extending smokefree areas.  
Councils beware!  See May 2006 article on BAT's Butt Litter Trust   

WHAT'S BEEN DONE

NSW         See  NSW councils smokefree policies chart  (UPDATED May 2008)
As at May 2008, almost 50 councils across NSW - urban, regional and rural - have adopted smokefree policies - see above chart.  Some of the early movers were Mosman and Manly councils and the city of Newcastle.

Grants available for NSW councils with smokefree outdoor areas policies:  see Cancer Council NSW 

QUEENSLAND
The state government has banned smoking in all playgrounds and patrolled beaches, as well as locking in smokefree al fresco dining in their legislation.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
14/11/07: The Greens have introduced a Private Member's Bill into the SA parliament to ban smoking in children's playgrounds - as Queensland has done (above).  See  SA Greens media release 14/11/07 

WESTERN AUSTRALIA 
The city of Fremantle in Western Australia voted (July 2007) to start phasing in a total ban on smoking in outdoor dining areas. The WA government has so far rejected calls to extend the move throughout the state. This follows similar moves by the Queensland government and several local council areas (see below).   See  ABC news report 26/7/07  and earlier  National Heart Foundation media release 15/3/07

RESOURCES  for local government

Grants available for NSW councils with smokefree outdoor areas policies:  see Cancer Council NSW

SMOKEFREE OUTDOOR AREAS resource kit for councils!

See Cancer Council NSW background page on  Outdoor smoking 

Our earlier Tobacco Facts for Local Government (November 2004) urged local councils to “Join the Smokefree Communities Snowball”!  The factsheet featured early moves in Queensland, around Sydney and in rural and regional areas.   

Page last updated 15/7/08