The Council of North Sydney has unanimously voted to ban all smoking on the surrounding streets.
At a council meeting recently, North Sydney mayor Jilly Gibson put forward the idea to make the CBD the first smoke-free business district in the country.
“Cigarettes are not only bad for smokers; their cigarette butts litter our streets and the second-hand smoke is detrimental to everyone’s health,” the mayor said, Sydney Morning Herald. reported.
“It is important that we create a safe environment for our community where everyone can enjoy our outdoor open spaces,” Ms Gibson said.
“We’re not going to hand out fines. It’s going to work by goodwill.”
The proposal will need to approved by a community consultation.
Ms Gibson said she believed North Sydneysiders would back the public ban,
“Even if we reduce people’s smoking in the CBD by, let’s say, 50 per cent, that would be a huge result,” Ms Gibson said.
C&I spoke to Australasian Association of Convenience Stores CEO Jeff Rogut about the impact of a smoke-free suburb on retailers.
“Consumers can still buy tobacco products, which are legally able to be sold to people 18 and over – they will just need to be more discerning where they smoke,” Mr Rogut said.
“The impact on some ethnic groups in the area who have higher rates of smoking will be more significant and we expect that the Council will look at education rather than a heavy-handed approach to enforcement.”