Smoking ban to expand

Smoking will be banned in Auckland’s central business district as the Auckland Council ramps up its goal of becoming a smokefree city.

The council is putting measures in place to make beaches, urban centres and al fresco dining areas smokefree by 2018.

Smoking is already banned from a range of public places including civic squares, plazas, parks and playgrounds.

Council-owned facilities including train stations and bus shelters are also smokefree.

Creating smokefree public spaces reduced the visibility of smoking, de-normalised smoking, supported former smokers to stay smokefree and encouraged current smokers to quit, the council said.

Council social policy and bylaws manager Mike Sinclair said there would be designated areas made available for smokers.

Under existing legislation smokers who broke the smokefree policy could not be prosecuted. Instead the council relied on ‘‘social pressure’’, he said.

‘‘It is not about punishing smokers but about providing smokefree role modelling and protecting the young,’’ Sinclair said.

A report to the council’s regulatory committee in September would consider whether a bylaw was needed so smokers breaking the rules could be fined.

However, bylaw enforcement was difficult because it came at a cost to ratepayers, he said.