Sydney beaches declared smoke-free

Smoking is illegal on Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama beaches in Sydney’s east from today.

Waverly Council Mayor Peter Moscatt says the ban covers smoking on the beach sand but facilities for smokers will be provided on concrete promenades and in park areas near the beachfronts.Mr Moscatt says he is confident most people support the ban, including smokers, because it will make the beach more pleasant for all users.”It wasn’t that many years ago that people took their dogs for a walk and didn’t pick up their business, but now anyone who’s got a dog on a lead has a plastic bag in their hand,” he said.”The more that you make people conscious of it, the more people will realise that if they want a fag they’ll go up on the prom and have it there, and dispose of it properly.”(Source: ABC Health News, December 2004)