A pilot project allowing cafes and restaurants to voluntarily declare their outdoor dining areas smoke- and vape-free is to be introduced in the South.
The Fresh Air Project, trialled in Christchurch in 2014, will be expanded to include Dunedin, Queenstown and Invercargill as a trial this summer.
It is being introduced by the Cancer Society and Southern District Health Board, and will run from November 1 to March 31.
Cancer Society health promotion and advocacy manager Sophie Carty and SDHB health promotion adviser Komal Suratwala briefed Dunedin city councillors during the public forum at the start of yesterday's community and culture committee meeting.
The initiative was voluntary, meaning business owners would have to opt in, but aimed at protecting hospitality staff and customers from second-hand smoke.
The focus was on restaurants' and cafes' family-friendly outdoor dining areas, rather than pubs' outdoor areas, but the initiative would cover both smoking and vaping, she said.
It was part of the nationwide push towards a smoke-free New Zealand by 2025, Ms Carty said.
