Manningham residents are reminded that under new State Government Tobacco Reforms smoking is prohibited within four metres of an entrance to all Victorian children’s indoor play centres, public hospitals, registered community health centres and certain Victorian Government buildings.

The smoking ban applied from 13 April 2015 and aims to:

• Protect the community from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke
• Further de-normalise smoking in the community. The more people see smoking in public places the more they will tend to think smoking is okay, rather than harmful
• Support people who have quit or are trying to quit smoking.

There is strong community support for banning smoking at public places and Manningham Council is supporting the State Government initiative by assisting with the education campaign to inform the community of the recently introduced changes.

While it is expected that most people will voluntarily comply with the smoking ban, Council Local Laws officers are authorised under the Tobacco Act 1987 to enforce the new smoking ban when necessary.

For more information, visit the Tobacco Reforms website.