There are already smoking bans in some public places

New tobacco control manager for the region Fiona Dunlop said she wants to move towards a complete ban but only with public and political support.

She said tobacco bans are a positive strategy and do work, but there are no plans for blanket bans immediately.

There are already bans in a number of pubs and shopping centres in the area.

Ms Dunlop is based with the Public Health Group North East and her post is funded by the Department of Health.

She said: "We know that a tobacco ban is a really positive strategy and does work in terms of reducing the number of people who smoke, protecting the health of non-smokers and just generally making people feel better.

Smoking bans

"What we are not wanting to do though is go straight in and completely ban smoking in public places. We couldn't do that anyway.

"What we want to do is work with the public to move towards more comprehensive bans."

She said at the moment they were look at places at shopping and leisure centres where there is public support.

She said it is important not to just look at the one measure of bans but also to bring together health education, action against smuggling, media campaigns and smoking cessation programmes.

She said: "What we are not is anti-smoker. We are not trying to victimise smokers, we are trying to work with people rather than impose things."

There are already smoking bans in a number of places in the North East including some pubs and shopping centres including the MetroCentre, in Gateshead.