Councillors butt heads on smoking

THE lack of proposed designated smoking areas in Lismore's city centre is concerning business owners who employ smokers. Under a draft Lismore City Council outdoor smoke-free area plan that has been placed on public exhibition for 28 days, the smoking areas in the CBD would be relegated to the outskirts of the CBD. This would be outside the main block bordered by Magellan, Keen, Woodlark and Molesworth streets. Cr Neil Marks, addressing council on Tuesday night, said business owners feared smokers' productivity would fall because it could take them longer to walk to smoking areas.

 Cr Marks said businesses had told him they would no longer employ smokers as, "that way they'll at least get a full day's work out of them". Cr Peter Graham questioned whether the smoke-free area policy would work, given the lack of smoking areas in the city centre. Cr Graham Meineke said it would be a difficult policy to enforce. Cr Simon Clough argued it was a very balanced policy that would be phased in over a year.

 Cr Vanessa Ekins expressed concern that many of the smoking areas were near the river, raising the prospect of more butts going into it. Cr Isaac Smith said the plan would make the city centre cleaner and research showed the more you inconvenienced smokers the more quit. David Martin of Lismore Chamber of Commerce confirmed the lack of smoking areas in the city heart was a concern among business owners.

British American Tobacco seeks digital shop for new luxury range

The group, which owns brands including Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall, has been in direct contact with digital agencies to invite them to pitch for the business, which involves testing the market with a new pilot range. British American Tobacco, along with other tobacco companies, is fighting a government consultation into stripping cigarette packets of all branding.

 Previous digital marketing by the company was slammed by the anti-smoking group Action on Smoking and Health, which claimed British American Tobacco was promoting a "school of cool" among young smokers. Action on Smoking and Health has accused the company of using sponsorship of music festivals, sporting events, celebrity endorsements and viral marketing campaigns on youth-oriented social media sites such as YouTube and Flickr to "recruit" around 750,000 young smokers each year.

 Tobacco advertising was banned in 2003, followed by promotions, direct marketing and sponsorship one year later. British American Tobacco is the second-largest quoted tobacco company in the world by market share and has operations in more than 180 countries.