Northland's district councils, health board and the Cancer Society Northland have signposted a future where there will be no smoking in playgrounds, sports grounds and parks.
In the past four years all three of the region's district councils have voted in a smokefree policy for those public spaces.
"This is all about the kids, being smoke-free role models for them and showing them that smoking is not a normal activity," Northland DHB Smokefree adviser Bridget Rowse said.
The policies were intended to be educative not punitive, she said.
"It's not about punishing smokers or telling them they can't smoke. It's about where they smoke and the opportunity they have to be good role models."
Cancer Society health promoter Jim Callaghan said the move was a step closer to a smokefree New Zealand by 2025.
"Smokefree playgrounds will help future generations of New Zealand children to be free from exposure to tobacco."
Tobacco is related to a quarter of all deaths in Northland and 47 per cent of all Maori deaths in the region and is a major factor in the difference of 14.9 years in life expectancy between Maori and non-Maori.