Orange, New South Wales, Australia - bans smoking in central business district..

May 24, 2010 - Orange, New South Wales (NSW) is introducing Australia's toughest anti-smoking rules, banning lighting up virtually anywhere in the town's central business district. The city is 3.5 hours (260 kilometres (160 mi)) west of Sydney and 3 hours from Canberra. Orange as of 2006 had a population of 31,544 and the city is a major provincial centre. (Orange, News South Wales)

First it was New South Wales taking the lead in tobacco control in all of Australia. Now Australia is becoming the world leader in tobacco control protecting the health of their citizens and their next generation - their children.

From June 2010, Orange City Council will ban smoking within 70m (230ft) of the Orange City Centre, Orange Central, and Orange Arcade shopping areas, Post Office Lane, Orange Base Hospital and any council-owned buildings, car parks and playgrounds.

Rangers will be empowered to hit smokers with $110 fines.

Orange City councillor Jeremy Buckingham, who put forward the anti-smoking proposal, said it "empowers the community to ask people to refrain from smoking".
"We've had a lot of support from the community and the Cancer Council. This isn't about being punitive; it's about creating a social pressure to ask smokers to smoke in areas where other people aren't around."

The move has split the community.

Reference: The city where smoking is outlawed, Daily Telegrapgh, 5/23/2010.
(Australia's Colour City)