Melbourne aims to become one of the first cities in the world to be completely smoke-free, with the cigarette users to go for a designated shelter, officials said Thursday.
Melbourne city councillor Richard Foster said there was overwhelming support to extend smoke-free areas following a test in one of the Australian city's bustling laneways, called The Causeway.
Cigarette Smoking - A Silent Killer
Smoking kills the smoker silently, pushing him towards serious illnesses, which slowly lead to death.
Advertisement
"I think we're going to actually attract people to Melbourne by being one of the first in the world to go smoke-free," he told Fairfax Radio.
"I think there's overwhelming support to progress smoke-free areas given the great success we had with The Causeway."
Under the plan, it would be illegal for pedestrians, footpath diners and even building site workers to light up in public areas within the central business district unless they are in designated shelters.
![How to Quit Smoking]( "How to Quit Smoking")
Tired of people asking you to stop smoking around them? Don't want to be ordered around by public smoking bans? Simple steps that help you to quit smoking.
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said any policy change should be incremental in the build-up to being completely smoke-free by late 2016.
"If we can show traders and businesses, just as happened in pubs and restaurants, that this doesn't detract from your business... then bit by bit we will win that battle," he told the Herald Sun newspaper.
Australia already has some of the toughest tobacco laws in the world, with firms forced to sell cigarettes in plain packets largely covered with graphic health warnings.
Smoking is currently prohibited in restaurants, bars and most other indoor spaces around the country.
The percentage of smokers in Australia has dropped from about 50 percent in the 1950s to 15 percent now and the government is aiming to push it down to 10 percent by 2018.
Source: AFP
Under the plan, it would be illegal for pedestrians, footpath diners and even building site workers to light up in public areas within the central business district unless they are in designated shelters.
How to Quit Smoking
Tired of people asking you to stop smoking around them? Don't want to be ordered around by public smoking bans? Simple steps that help you to quit smoking.
Advertisement
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said any policy change should be incremental in the build-up to being completely smoke-free by late 2016.
"If we can show traders and businesses, just as happened in pubs and restaurants, that this doesn't detract from your business... then bit by bit we will win that battle," he told the Herald Sun newspaper.
Australia already has some of the toughest tobacco laws in the world, with firms forced to sell cigarettes in plain packets largely covered with graphic health warnings.
Smoking is currently prohibited in restaurants, bars and most other indoor spaces around the country.
The percentage of smokers in Australia has dropped from about 50 percent in the 1950s to 15 percent now and the government is aiming to push it down to 10 percent by 2018.
Source: AFP
Smoking Increases Colon Cancer Risk in Women
Women who smoke are more prone to develop colon cancer than men who smoke, finds Norwegian study.
Advertisement
 Quiz on SmokingApproximately half the smokers die due to smoking -related diseases. But it is not just the smokers who are at the receiving end. The passive smokers too, often pay a heavy price. If you still have not 'kicked the butt', learn more horrifying facts about smoking by participating in the following quiz. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Latest Environmental Health
Innovative substitutes for animal-derived products, such as meat and dairy, hold potential to foster a more sustainable, healthier, and ethical food system.
Young Hispanic adults' bone mineral density is impacted by PFAS, or 'forever chemical,' which can lead to osteoporosis and other bone problems.
After exposure to toxic gas phosgene at a Texas chemical plant, eight workers underwent treatment to address the effects of the incident.
COP28 along with WHO announced 'COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health' to protect people's health from the impending climate change.
The latest study underscores the significant influence that an individual's environment can exert on their brain.