The City of Melbourne is considering an expansion of its smoke-free zones, with new areas proposed outside Melbourne Town Hall and surrounding footpaths. The move aims to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke and vape aerosol in one of the city’s busiest civic precincts.
If approved, it would add to the 11 existing smoke-free areas across the CBD, which already include high-traffic locations such as Bourke Street Mall and McKillop Street.
The initiative is part of the council’s broader “Smoke-free Melbourne” policy, endorsed in 2021, which sets out to protect health, educate the public, and regulate smoking-related hazards in community spaces.
To shape the proposal, the council recently called for feedback from residents, businesses, students, workers, tourists and visitors. Consultation focused on whether the entrances and footpaths at Melbourne Town Hall and council administration buildings should be included under the smoke-free rules.
The push comes at a time when traditional smoking rates are declining in Australia. Daily smoking has dropped to just seven per cent in major cities, with cost and health concerns driving the trend. But the rise of vaping tells a different story – e-cigarette use almost doubled between 2019 and 2022, from 11.3 per cent to 19.8 per cent, particularly among younger Australians who cite “curiosity” as their reason for starting.
Tobacco remains the second highest risk factor for disease burden in Australia, and governments at all levels are under pressure to curb the growing impact of vaping.
The Federal Government’s Vaping Reforms Act, introduced in 2024, sought to ban the sale, possession and manufacture of non-therapeutic vapes. But with illegal tobacconists and vape shops now estimated to make up nearly 30 per cent of the market, enforcement remains a challenge
