Smoke‐free outdoor areas: supporting local government to introduce tobacco control policies

Objectives: To ascertain the proportion of councils with smoke‐free outdoor areas (SFOA) policies in New South Wales (NSW), Australia and to explore the enablers and barriers to local governments introducing such policies. Methods: A structured survey of council staff at NSW councils was conducted by telephone in 2011. Participants were asked about the existence of any SFOA policy, and enablers and barriers of the policy. Results: The study was completed by 148 of 152 NSW councils. Eighty five (57%) councils had an SFOA policy, with playgrounds most likely to be covered by the policy. The most frequently cited enabler for the introduction of SFOA policy was direct advocacy letters, while the most commonly mentioned barrier was a lack of resources. Conclusion and implications: In the absence of state or federal legislation, local government or councils may respond to community expectations for smoke‐free outdoor areas by introducing policy. Advocacy and support from non‐government health organisations can increase the likelihood of this occurring and address barriers facing councils, with rural councils most likely to benefit from such support. Interest from councils can influence the adoption of state‐wide smoke‐free outdoor areas legislation.