Smoke-free areas plan runs out of puff

NO GO: Last year, Smokefree Network Wairarapa wanted a CBD ban.

Masterton smokers won a minor battle this week when district councillors chose not to support a prohibition on smoking outside the town's cafes, restaurants and bars.

The idea was put to the council by Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith who was canvassing support for it prior to a remit being put to Local Government New Zealand which, if adopted, would put pressure on central government to ban smoking in those those specific areas throughout the country.

Mr Smith said banning smoking outside cafes, restaurants and bars would be in line with the Government's goal of a smokefree New Zealand by 2025. The Ministry of Health, Mr Smith said, has recognised it may not achieve Smokefree 2025 and that a " business as usual approach" regarding encouraging smokers to quit would no longer work.

A greater focus was needed on "risky groups" such as pregnant women and mentally ill people and those with "stubbornly high smoking rates" such as Maori and Pacific Islanders.

Lifelong non-smoker councillor Gary Caffell led the charge against supporting Mr Smith's plea for Masterton's backing.

"We have already taken smokers out of cafes, restaurants and bars and now we are being asked to ban them from smoking outside on the pavement.

"What would stop them from moving 10m down the street and smoking there, anyway," he said.

Mr Caffell said it was insulting to single out Maori, Pacific people and the mentally ill and the whole idea was "stupid".

" It would be the same as our ban on smokers in the town square, all they did was move to the fringes of the square and smoke there," he said.

Councillor Brent Goodwin was also against the proposal.

"I am saying this as a person who has smoked during my life." Deputy mayor Graham McClymont said business owners had been "hammered enough lately".

The ban could even put young female smokers at risk of being assaulted if they were out for an evening and had to move away from lighted areas into the dark to smoke.

A vote rejected giving support to Mr Smith's proposal with only two councillors - Jonathan Hooker and Mark Harris - supporting it.