Hospital neighbours stub out the smokes

Smoking will be banned outside Yanna Ho's cafe from tomorrow. Photo / Chris Loufte

Yanna Ho says the ban on smoking at her cafe's street-side tables from tomorrow is what her customers want, even the smokers.

Ro Cafe Crema is one of three eateries with tables on the footpath of Park Rd opposite Auckland City Hospital that are going smokefree outdoors from tomorrow, World Smokefree Day. The others saying goodbye to outdoor smoking are Oh! Sushi and l'Atelier.

"I would definitely say it's a trend that's gathering pace," said Restaurant Association president Mike Egan.

"I don't know whether a law is needed, as it may be self-policing. It seems to be happening by osmosis and becoming more common."

The Columbus Coffee group says 26 of its 64 franchised cafes are smokefree outdoors and another, in Ashburton, will join them tomorrow.

The Hip Group, which owns more than 10 Auckland eateries, made its restaurants smokefree outdoors more than 10 years ago. Co-owner Scott Brown said customers liked it, and the policy was good for business and staff.

Smoking indoors is illegal at cafes and most other workplaces, but is permitted in cafes' outdoor areas where owners can make the rules.

Mrs Ho said she and husband Steve had been easing their smoking customers into the idea of not smoking at the outdoor tables for a fortnight and they had been understanding.

"Most are well educated - professors [from the nearby medical school] and hospital staff. Hospital patients understand as well - they can't smoke over there.

"People want to have a pleasant environment for dining. The smoke that drifted into the cafe ... lots of people don't smoke and don't like it. Even smokers don't like being secondhand smokers. It doesn't smell good - it stinks. You're having a nice family lunchtime with your children and smoke drifts everywhere.

"I saw no-smoking signs at the hospital and I didn't know where you can buy them from. I asked my regular customers from the Cancer Society where do you get a nice sign for smokefree."

The society, which is lobbying for city-wide smokefree outdoor dining to be introduced earlier than Auckland Council's plan of doing it in 2018, gave signs to the three Grafton eateries and Auckland branch chief executive John Loof visited to congratulate them yesterday.

In Australia, 40 councils in New South Wales have imposed outdoor smokefree dining bylaws. The state will, from July, ban smoking in outdoor eating areas, a policy already in place in five other states or territories.