City of Melbourne proposes new smoke-free areas

The City of Melbourne is proposing new additions to its existing enforced “smoke-free” areas around the CBD.

The new areas proposed are situated outside Melbourne Town Hall and surrounding areas with the aim to protect people from the harm of second-hand smoke and vape aerosol.

Currently, there are 11 designated smoke-free areas within the City of Melbourne, including high pedestrianised and tourist spaces such as Bourke Street Mall and McKillop St.

The initiative is part of the council’s “Smoke-free Melbourne” policy endorsed in 2021, designed to protect, educate, communicate and regulate smoke related hazards to the public to promote health and wellbeing in the community.

The council recently sought feedback from “residents, businesses, workers, building owners, students, tourists and visitors about whether the entrances and footpaths at the front of the Melbourne Town Hall and council administration buildings in the city should become smoke-free areas.”

Daily smoking has dropped to seven per cent in major cities in recent years with people citing the cost and health reasons for cessation.

However, use of e-cigarettes has increased from 11.3 per cent in 2019 to 19.8 per cent in Australia with younger generations taking up the habit sooner. The most common reason cited by people aged 14 to 40 being “out of curiosity”.

Similarly, tobacco is the second highest risk factor for burden of disease in Australia.

The Federal Government commenced the Therapeutic Goods and Other Legislation Amendment (Vaping Reforms) Act 2024 in July of last year, with the aim to prohibit the sale, commercial possession and manufacturing of non-therapeutic vape and disposable vapes.

However, due to the sharp rise of illegal tobacconist and vape shops, the enforcement of such an act against roughly 30 per cent of Australia's tobacco market has proven difficult.