Smoking could soon be banned in Piccadilly Gardens and other city centre areas

Areas of Manchester city centre could soon be smoke-free as part of a new pilot project aiming to crack down on the habit.

The project, courtesy of the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, will see smoking be completely banned in certain parts of the city centre, with Piccadilly Gardens, St. Peter’s Square and the area around Manchester Town Hall currently being considered.

While banning smoking around the Etihad Stadium has also been suggested, the new Mayfield park near Piccadilly Station is currently the only public space under ‘active consideration’.

According to the proposal, smokers would be asked to either stub out their cigarettes or leave the smoke-free area by enforcement officers.

Mike Peel / Wikimedia Commons

There are no plans to bring in by-laws or fines for people caught smoking, with an ‘education-first’ approach, offering smokers support to quit, being adopted instead.

A public consultation asking members of the public and local businesses for suggestions of places they want to become smoke-free is expected to start next month, with a final decision due in autumn.

Read More: Smoking in beer gardens could soon be banned under new measures to stop smokers

Salford mayor Paul Dennett, chair of the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership Board, said of the plans: “People living in Greater Manchester have a lower life expectancy than those living in other parts of the country, and we must take action to reduce preventable illnesses and the role they play in our considerable health inequalities.

“When we look at smoking, which is the leading cause of preventable illnesses, we have some of the highest smoking rates in the country, and it has a significant impact on our people’s health and wellbeing.

Lindsay Fox / Flickr

“Smoke-free spaces not only promote healthy behaviours to children and young people, but they also encourage smokers to quit and make it easier for ex-smokers to stay smoke-free.

“Through the Partnership for Healthy Cities network we will boost our efforts in making smoking history to ensure longer, healthier lives for our residents.”

Greater Manchester recently joined the Partnership of Healthy Cities, a global network committed to preventing noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, and chronic lung disease.

By joining, the region has pledged to create more smoke-free outdoor spaces to protect residents and visitors from illnesses caused by tobacco.

The first smoking ban in an outdoor public space could come into force by the end of the year with further smoke-free spaces introduced by March 2023. More smoke-free spaces could then be rolled out gradually across Greater Manchester.