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Kingston Council has designated all beaches, foreshore areas and reserves in Kingston - situated south east of Melbourne - as smoke-free zones, with the ban meaning fines for either lighting-up a tobacco product or smoking an e-cigarette.

Kingston Mayor Georgina Oxley said the community was overwhelmingly in support of the introduction of smoke-free areas in Kingston and advised “the feedback we received is the community want to see smoking banned along our foreshores areas and in our reserves to reduce passive smoking and keep our beaches and bay free of butts.

“If you’ve been down to the beach and picked up rubbish like our wonderful local beach patrol groups you’ll know that there’s a huge number of cigarette butts collected each week that can end up in our beautiful bay.”

“The smoke-free zones will also help ensure the community is protected from passive smoking, no one enjoying our beautiful foreshore areas and reserves should have to be exposed to other people’s second-hand smoke or vape clouds.”

The maximum an individual can be fined is $500 (5 penalty units) but Council will be taking a proactive, educational approach to the implementation of the new law.

Council is also considering extending the smoke-free zones to include Kingston’s shopping strips and has asked for a report to be presented at the next Ordinary Council meeting in September.

Image courtesy of Australian council on smoking and health (ACOSH) www.acosh.org/

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