Policing of Auckland public smoking ban questioned

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Policing of Auckland public smoking ban questioned

3News NZ

21 local boards have already made sports fields, parks and playgrounds smoke-free

21 local boards have already made sports fields, parks and playgrounds smoke-free

By Adam Hollingworth

Questions are being raised about whether it would be possible to enforce a smoking ban in all of Auckland’s public areas.

Public health specialists say they want to extend the current ban on smoking in public buildings to the outdoors, but it may not be easy to police.

Dr Richard Hoskins of the Auckland Public Health Service says any exposure to tobacco smoke gives you a degree of risk.

“We can't say a public place causes exactly this amount of risk, we know it contributes to the overall risk,” he says.

A ban could include Auckland’s parks, as well as beaches and squares like Aotea Square – where smokers are fuming at the idea.

It may sound ridiculous to some, but bar-owners in Vulcan Lane are already worried that patrons who have moved onto the pavement to smoke will now simply get moved on and stay away.

Astrid Fisher of the Hospitality Association says she cannot imagine how it would be enforced.

“It's obviously up to the authorities but I think it would be difficult, it's fair to say.”

In fact, 12 of Auckland’s 21 local boards have already made sports fields, parks and playgrounds smoke-free. Signs will be erected in coming months but it will not go much farther than that.

Waitemata Local Board member Jesse Chalmers says they are not going to “run around after people, asking them to drop their cigarettes”.

“The idea is that the community will help each other to stop smoking in these areas so it'll help community members to approach people, ask them to stop smoking.”

Auckland Council looks like it too will butt out of employing a tobacco police.

In a statement, the council said it could technically make a bylaw to restrict smoking but problems had surfaced with other local authorities because of smokers' human rights, difficulties in enforcement and the cost and time of developing legislation.

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Comments

23/01/2012 6:14:24 a.m.

james wrote:

ive been a smoker for 14 years, so i deffintly wouldnt like it to be banned in public places. i think as long as we outside it should be all good. back in the day you use to be able to smoke in librarys shops and pritty much anywhere, if you going to ban places outside you may as well just ban it all together. but by doing that you will get people moaning about other things, next 1 will be no eating well standing as it looks rude or something else just as rediculas.

22/01/2012 5:59:44 p.m.

Bruce wrote:

Don't know about parks and that but definitely not in outdoor dining areas as smoking is such a huge turnoff when eating. Probably not beaches as cigarette butts in the sand where kids are playing is disgusting. Funny because anyone smoking looks bloody awful these days anywhere. It is just a disgusting habit and no one looks good doing it anywhere.It is totaly harmful and has no good points at all. Price it out of range. Make NZ smoke free and be done with it.

20/01/2012 1:07:15 p.m.

Ruz wrote:

I can't see the point of imposing a ban if it can't be enforced. It would be better to work toward the complete elimination of cigarette sales as part of the Government goal to make NZ smoke free by 2025.

20/01/2012 12:50:36 p.m.

Judynz wrote:

Who gives the Govt the right to make such a law.
Our govts feed toxic fluoride into our water affecting most of what we eat & drink. They drop toxic materials on us from the sky affecting all that grows & lives on earth.
They will not protect us with labeling foods so we can make the decision to consume poisons or not. They are complicit in putting Iron in our flour affecting much of our cooked food despite the fact this is dangerous to many. They intent forcing us into a position where we all have to eat poisonous food whether we grow our own or not & wont let us self heal our bodies by outlawing growing foods & herbs that will keep us well or heal our health problems. CLIMB BACK INTO YOUR PUBLIC SERVANT BOX oh would be leaders.
The list of deciet is too long for this forum

One good thing though. You have become so obvious, That you are taking our money & using it to work against those who have believed you work for us, for our good....That finally people are waking up to your game.
I thankyou for that.

One good thing. You have become so obvious, that you are taking our money & using it to work against those who believe you work for us....That finally people are waking up to your game.
I thankyou for that.

19/01/2012 10:17:19 p.m.

kane wrote:

Another reason not to go to Auckland... Hey send their tourism our way... Might/will turn a lot of people off Auckland...

19/01/2012 10:02:23 p.m.

nigel wrote:

This is sick stuff, the moral majority imposing their will on the minority. TV3 you should make it possible for posters to upload videos onto your website. I was driving down a local Auckland Street just this afternoon when a furniture truck pulled out of a driveway, smoke billowing from its exhaust completely enveloped some poor kid on his bike as he rode along the footpath. On the way back a container truck pulled out from a side street in front of me, again thick clouds of carcinogenic smoke spewed from the trucks exhaust, polluting the entire area and I had to wind my window up. A video of this, ending with some poor sod puffing on a cigarette by the side of the road would demonstrate not only how petty these tobacco teetotallers are, but also the spuriousness of the doctor’s claims about associated tobacco risk, when compared for example, with a short trip down the road anywhere in Auckland City.