Playground anti-smoking trial

DAVID HALLETT/The Press

FRESH AIR: resident Eddy Hendriks at Branston Park, in Hornby, where smoking will be discouraged.

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Smokers will soon be asked to kick the habit near playgrounds in Christchurch public parks.

A $35,000 trial in three Hornby parks will encourage smokers to stub out cigarettes around children's playgrounds with new signs and an advertising campaign.

The advocates of the plan, which won Christchurch City Council approval yesterday, hope to extend it to every playground in the city.

"The whole thing is based on the idea that smoking around children is sending out the wrong signals. It is not about second-hand smoke. The idea is to encourage a social etiquette and think smoking around children is sending out a signal that it is a fun thing to do. It is not a ban," said Martin Witt, health promotion manager for the Cancer Society.

The three-month trial in Wycola, Branston and Helmore playgrounds in Hornby is funded by Partnership Health Canterbury and organised by Smokefree Canterbury.

Witt hopes the campaign will spur self-regulation.

The initiative has already been introduced in Upper Hutt, Taranaki, Queenstown, Invercargill, Ashburton and Timaru.

The Riccarton/Wigram Community Board approved the plans this month.

Chairman Peter Laloli was keen to stress that the initiative would affect only areas around playgrounds.

"It is not stopping people sitting in Hagley Park watching cricket and rugby. It is just where kids are," he said.

Partnership Health project manager Michael O'Day said the initiative was important to prevent children from becoming smokers.

"Children are seven times more likely to take up smoking in later life if they are exposed to adult smoke," he said.

Christchurch City councillor Sue Wells said the council was not imposing a city-wide ban.

"We are supporting and encouraging a group hoping to change behaviour," she said.

- © Fairfax NZ News