As World No Tobacco Day looks to stub out smoking around the globe, locally we have a bigger job than most.
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Late last year West Tamworth was rated by the Australian Health Policy Collaborator as the state’s heaviest smokers, before being rated as the fattest region in the state earlier this year.
Overall the Tamworth region has been rated as having the second highest percentage of smokers per capita, with almost double the NSW average of 16.2 per cent.
Locally the Tamworth Regional Council have chipped in by banning smoking in all parts of the CBD, and believe that the results speak for themselves.
Manager Regulatory Services Ross Briggs said that there has been a noticeable decrease in smokers in the CBD, since the law came into effect in November 2015.
“Our Rangers who patrol the area have found that people are generally accommodating if asked to put their cigarette out,” Mr Briggs said. We are proud of this initiative and will continue to promote a smoke-free CBD.”
Meanwhile the initiative is catching on around the region, with Gunnedah Council currently looking at making their busiest streets smoke free zones.
