LOCAL health chiefs are drawing up a strategy to encourage St Helens restaurants and shopping zones to ban smoking.

The new campaign, being formulated at a time when speculation continues to mount over whether the government will introduce a national smoking ban for public places, seeks to promote no smoking policies in restaurants, shopping areas and the workplace.

Bars and pubs will also be asked to adopt no smoking policies as part of the 'Smoke Free St Helens' strategy, but with such a policy expected to whip up a storm of controversy, eating areas and shopping centres will get most attention when the campaign is rolled out in the autumn.

Sue Forster, deputy director of public health for St Helens Primary Care Trust, said: "We have a public health responsibility towards our population.

"This is about developing a borough-wide strategy to reduce the effects of tobacco smoke and we want to work with all local organisations to develop smoke free St Helens to protect the population."

"This (campaign) won't be legislative, and will be very much a staggered approach.

"We will look towards restaurants, cafes and shopping centres, particularly areas where children are, and in the workplace."

The deputy director of public health, who has been working with a team to compile the strategy for the past eight months, added the town's pubs would have the opportunity to become smoke free: "I know there is a smoke-free bar in Formby and it is doing very well as it has done in Ireland. So it will be down to them."

Results of a survey published by North West Public Health Group revealed 78 per cent of 14,222 people questioned in the North West want restaurants to be free of smoking, while 57 per cent want pubs smoke free.

Numbers unclear

Exact figures for the number of smokers in St Helens is unclear, but it is thought the picture is similar to that nationally, which sees 27 per cent of British men and a quarter of women 'lighting up'.

At present the town's shopping centres do not have smoking bans, while few independent restaurants operate a strict no smoking policy.

Mr Chan's restaurant on North Road, St Helens, is believed to have been the first independent restaurant locally to introduce a smoking ban. Owner, Charlie Chan, said he welcomed the moves but said it may be difficult to persuade some restaurateurs to adopt the policy.

He said: "The feedback has been very good from non-smokers, but sometimes it does vary.

"If others were keen, they would have brought in bans already... maybe they are waiting to see what happens to me.

"Personally I always feel some things have to come first. Money is an issue because you are in business, but you have to consider the health of your customers and your own staff."