Nonsmokers set ‘community standard’

The city council of Perth has become the first in Western Australia (WA) to ban tobacco smoking in shopping malls, according to an Australian Associated Press story.

Initially, those found to be smoking tobacco will be cautioned, but fines will be issued from June 1.

Rosanna Capolingua, the chairperson of Healthway, the Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation, said nine out of 10 people in WA were nonsmokers and it was important to show young people that being a nonsmoker was a community standard.

Healthway “ambassadors” would be in the malls during peak periods and at major city events over the summer to inform the public of the local law changes.