TAMWORTH looks like becoming the first council area to introduce a full-blown cigarette smoking ban in a wide area of public spaces and sports and people places.
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And that blanket ban in many civic places could be in place within two months. Moves to bring in a smoke-free zone in the inner eight blocks of the Tamworth city centre, outside of schools, childcare centres and health facilities, near council-owned buildings, at sporting grounds and parks, and near alfresco restaurants and cafes, look likely to be imposed before the end of the year.
Tamworth Regional Council has endorsed a new wide-ranging smoke-free environment policy – which, while not a groundbreaker in itself, is a first when it comes to an all- inclusive ban which includes the use of the new, contemporary electronic cigarettes as well.
The council is almost certain to snuff out smoking on a wide scale on the back of solid support from public surveys and some startling scientific evidence given to councillors at this week’s meeting.
A health data authority, Dr Jessica Stewart, said the New England area had the second highest smoking rate of any region in NSW, it was considerably above the average.
Alarmingly it showed one in four women smoked while pregnant, 55 per cent of Aboriginal women smoked, and New England had some 5000 avoidable bed days attributed to chronic diseases that smoking exacerbated.
Dr Stewart painted an ugly picture of many New Englanders who were smoking themselves into the grave prematurely.
She said research showed we had many early-preventable deaths and one of the highest infant mortality rates going.
Dr Stewart said our nationally comparable local-level data showed 21 per cent of adults smoke daily in the New England area, compared to the national average of 16 per cent across Australia.
About 29,000 adults smoke every day across the health region.
Five councillors spoke about the ‘bad old days’ of smoke-filled rooms, and stinking clothes and hair during the debate on the policy this week.
The draft policy went to the council with data from three surveys over the past few years which had sought public attitudes to adopting smoke- free zones in Peel St, the CBD and other outdoor areas.
It was supported by the Heart Foundation and a regional spokeswoman, Penny Milson, yesterday applauded the council for its stand against cigarettes and smoking in civic places.
“The council has shown great leadership and especially by including e-cigarettes,” Ms Milson said.
She said local smoking rates were unacceptable and a combination of efforts driven by such outdoor bans would help bring down those rates.
While many people have argued about how the smoke-free zones would be enforced, and the council has already admitted it doesn’t have the resources to actually officially police it everywhere, lead agency advocates agreed a combination of peer pressure and public and community support would help snuff-out smoking. This was already evident, like at sporting matches, where smokers had been gently chided about doing it on the sidelines – and had butted out without complaint.
Tamworth Regional Council environmental manager Ross Briggs said “big stick” policing wasn’t part of the policy approach but Doing the Right Thing would be most at play.
Mr Briggs said it was quite evident that about 80 per cent of survey respondents supported bans around eating and food service areas, outside education and health institutions and in green spaces around the council area, like parks and playing fields. The council said 98 councils across NSW had adopted a smoke-free policy in their areas.
