The Smokefree Areas Policy was unanimously passed at the Invercargill City Council meeting on 7 November 2017. The policy makes the area within the boundary of Tay, Spey Street, Deveron and Dee streets (including Wachner Place) a smokefree area.
The policy idea was originally submitted by the Invercargill Youth Council and has been actively encouraged by Smokefree Murihiku
While this is a policy and cannot be legally enforced, it will be promoted positively through the use of signage. To help denormalise smoking to children, smokers who work in the CBD are able to smoke behind their building so long as they are out of the public eye.
Smoking for the purpose of the policy includes e-cigarettes and vaporisers too. Should this policy work well, it will be reviewed in a year’s time and could be extended to other areas of the Invercargill city.