Auckland Approves Public Smoking Ban Policy

Smoking in public in Auckland will become illegal soon. The Auckland Council has approved a city-wide policy that will ban smoking in almost all public spaces in the hopes of making the city smoke-free by 2025.

The Regional Development Committee voted on Wednesday to implement the smoking ban, which will be rolled out over five years, and is broken down into three stages.

The first stage will be in place from July. Smoking will be banned at parks, stadiums, swimming pools, playgrounds, sports fields, public transport places, and public outdoor areas associated with the councils, which include libraries, museums, and community facilities and halls.

The second stage will take effect in May 2015, and which will see smoking ban in shared spaces and all plazas and civic squares.

The third stage is subject to a policy review in 2015. It is expected to take effect from May 31, 2014, and will include the ban of smoking in areas around sports clubs, urban centres, al fresco dining areas, public beaches, and common areas of council housing.

“The council will monitor the impact of the policy on smoking rates across Auckland and will reconsider whther a bylaw is needed in 2016,” committee deputy chairwoman Councillor Sandra Coney has been quoted by the Fairfax NZ News as saying.

She added that the public smoking ban had wide public support, calling it a huge step forward for Auckland.

“Besides the health benefits, a smoke-free policy will help take butts out of the stormwater system, and assist in fire prevention.”

The Cancer Society has been making recommendations to the council based on the recent study’s findings that show majority of the people in Auckland is agreeable to the ban.

Beth Jenkinson, the group’s health promotion manager, said that the public wanted the ban to be implemented earlier. According to a survey, Aucklanders wanted to implement the policy earlier than what had been proposed in the draft released in 2013.

“We want that time frame to be brought forward, in line with what the public want,” she told TV ONE’s Breakfast.

Smokers in public areas will not be punished, however. As reported by Fairfax NZ News, the council is relying on “social pressure” to stop people from smoking in public.

Anti-smoking ad in New Zealand from 2006: