Twenty Christchurch cafes and restaurants will ban smoking in outside areas from today.
The ban could become permanent if the business owners and patrons took to the initiative. Photo: 123RF
They have signed up voluntarily to a six-month project launched by the Cancer Society and the Canterbury District Health Board.
A city councillor, Glenn Livingstone, said the initiative was part of a wider vision for Christchurch.
"It is one thing to have good new buildings etcetera, that's all well and good in the rebuild, but I think there's a part of public policy we can work on as well, in terms of making Christchurch a new city. People wanted a clean, green city after the quake, and this is one contribution towards that."
Mr Livingstone said the ban could become permanent if business owners and patrons warmed to it.
