Thank you for taking part in stage 1 of the consultation and providing your feedback. We received 367 responses and this is what you said:

• 82% supported more smoke free areas in Banyule
• The top number of responses received were for no smoking in footpath dining areas, closely followed by outside shopping centre entrances and shopping strips.

Stage 2 of the consultation commence in October 2018 and was undertaken as part of the proposed review of the Footpath Trading Policy.

We will continue to look at opportunities to review and improve Council's Outdoor Smoke Free Areas Policy.

What we are doing

We are committed to reducing the health impact of tobacco on the community and providing great public and open spaces.

In August 2017 changes to the Tobacco Act meant that smoking was banned in outdoor dining areas in Victoria. We have had feedback from the community that other areas should also be smoke free so we are now investigating which other places should be considered.

What's happened so far?

In 2013 we adopted the Banyule Smoke free Outdoor Areas Policy. The goal of the policy is to help improve the health of the community by limiting their exposure to second-hand smoke and to reduce butt litter. To achieve this goal a range of public spaces were made smoke free zones including the Greensborough Walk and Town Square; children’s playgrounds; at all events run or sponsored by us; and within 10m of council owned building entrances where smoke free signs are displayed.

Since 2013 in Victoria, the Tobacco Act has progressed and there are now many more areas where smoking is not permitted including children’s playgrounds, junior sporting matches, outside certain building entrances and most recently outdoor dining areas.

This means that we are now able to look at other outdoor areas in Banyule that should be smoke free and review our smoke free policy.

E-cigarettes - Are devices that heat and vaporise a liquid that is then inhaled, simulating the act of smoking.

Second hand smoke - Also called passive smoking, second hand smoke is tobacco smoke that is exhaled by smokers or is given off by burning tobacco and is inhaled by people nearby.

Smoke free area – where smoking is not permitted