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Stony Stratford Campaigns For Outdoor Smoking-Ban

30 June 2011

A campaign has been launched to outlaw smoking in all public places in Stony Stratford near Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

If passed, the new bylaw would mean anyone caught lighting up in the historic market town would face a fine.
Senior politicians on the town’s council have indicated their support for the scheme, which comes after the mayor of New York banned smoking from parks and beaches in the US city last month.
The town’s council will discuss the concept next month before Milton Keynes Council is likely to be asked to use its powers to introduce the ban.

Stony Stratford Councillor Paul Bartlett, who is leading the campaign, said: "When you walk through the high street in any town, smoke is in your face and harming you and any children there."

Jill Partington, spokesperson, Keep Britain Tidy said: "If it was successful, it would certainly reduce the number of cigarette butts on the streets and the cost of clearing them up."

See the story in the Daily Telegraph

Comments

Comment on this article

• Andy Smith, North West

  Whatever happened to freedom of choice. And once we have all quit and put the estimated 10,000 workers on the dole, where do you think the government is going to raise the £10.5 billion pounds it currently gets from smoking taxation. Why don't we ask them to donate some of that back to local authorities to help clean up the problem.

• Christina Kiernan, London

  Smoking should be banned in ALL public places. As Councillor Paul Bartlett has said, smoke is in your face in any high street in any town. In London this is not even limited to the high street. There are enormous amounts of cigarette butts on a very high percentage of London streets all of the time. They're thrown into the grates surrounding newly planted trees; into the large planters placed in the high street and outside restaurants, pubs and bars. These are not going to be removed even during the daily sweep. The chances are that wherever you find a public bench; parks and coastal resorts not excluded, the ground around it will be littered with butts.

• paul bartlett, South East

  The idea of a smoking ban in Stony came to the forefront after I got one in the MK shopping centre fifteen years ago. Medics love the idea. It costs £26k to cleaN up just High St Stony and the litter is mainly butts. Add in the health factors and......... Regards Alderman Cllr Paul Bartlett barty.stony@hotmail.co.uk 079200 65451