No smoking signs are being progressively installed in playgrounds across the Cessnock LGA to highlight Cessnock City Council's adoption of a policy which bans smoking within 10 metres of children's playgrounds.
Residents will also receive notification of the new policy with their rates instalment notices and posters will be placed in schools, pre schools, libraries and community buildings across the LGA to increase public awareness of the policy.
Cessnock has joined a growing number of local councils which have introduced no smoking policies near children's playgrounds with more than 40 councils across New South Wales have already introduced no smoking outdoor areas within their localities.
"We are introducing signage in a staged approach with 20 parks scheduled for signage this financial year. Our regional parks will be the first to have the signs installed," Council's Recreation Services Manager, Ms Nicole Benson said.
The smoking ban is effective at all of Council's 41 playgrounds across the LGA and it is anticipated that the policy will be self-enforced by the community as there is very strong support for the introduction of no smoking near playgrounds.
Smoking poses considerable risks to public health and safety. The establishment of smoke free areas within playgrounds will not only assist to protect the community, particularly children, from second hand smoke but it will also reduce the risk of bush fires and may also support smokers who are trying to quit. There are also environmental and economic factors associated with smoking such as butt littering (cigarette butts are not biodegradable and take up to five years to break down) and clean up costs should be reduced following the implementation of smoke free areas within playgrounds.
"We found when we introduced the policy of no smoking at our aquatics facilities in 2007 that after a short period of time, the vast majority of users who smoked were quite happy to adhere to the policy because they understood that it was not a revenue raising exercise but rather was introduced in the interests of community health," Ms Benson said. "We believe that this new policy will also be accepted by the community."
