lower hutt’s town centres proud to be smokefree

Our shared vision is a future where our community spaces are all smokefree and vapefree, where our children don’t see smoking and aren’t exposed to second-hand smoke. 

Hutt City Council’s Smokefree Outdoor Public Places Policy is one of the strongest policies across Aotearoa New Zealand and designates many of the city’s spaces and places as smokefree and vapefree, including all suburban town centres.

Over the next couple of months Hutt City Council will be rolling out signage and messaging in town centres with Moera being one of the first to receive the new signage.  The signage and messaging will encourage people to not smoke or vape in areas that are smokefree and will point people to where they can access quit smoking support services. 

A collective effort by Hutt City Council and members of the Hutt Valley Tobacco Control Group highlights the importance and impact of local leadership.  Positive action around being smokefree is snowballing to create an Aotearoa where being smokefree is the normal way of life.

Catherine Manning, Regional Manager Takiri Mai Te Ata Regional Stop Smoking Service says “We are proud to support Hutt City Council’s new signage designed for Lower Hutt’s town centres, promoting proud to be smokefree. We know that these signs, aimed at protecting our people in our town centres and public outdoor spaces, will have the biggest impact in protecting our most vulnerable in our community – our children.  This will enable us to ensure our public spaces are free from the harm caused by exposure to tobacco smoke.  Smokefree and vapefree town centres are not intended to single out individuals or groups of people who smoke, but help guide them to quit if they are ready and wanting to.  As well as where they can access stop smoking support.”

Imagine if all our public places were smokefree and smoking isn’t visible to our children.