CSI: CRIMES ™
Member
SPITTING in the street has been banned by a city council, with offenders facing on-the-spot fines of up to $1100 in a bid to rid a suburb of the "filthy habit".
Believed to be the first ruling of its kind in the state, the Sydney suburb of Fairfield has become a spit-free zone, with signage to be painted on footpaths and an awareness program launched to deter offenders.
More accustomed to dishing out parking tickets, council officers will now have the power to slap spitters with fines ranging from $110 to $1100.
Councillor Ninos Khoshaba hopes the anti-spitting campaign will rid the community of the "filthy habit".
He denied the rule was targeting ethnic groups, in particular Fairfield and Cabramatta's large Asian community, many of whom view spitting as a customary and healthy practice.
"There is nothing pointed about this as it happens all over Sydney. It is just a disgusting habit and a public health issue that we can stamp out," Mr Khoshaba said.
"This has always been about educating residents, not just about the fines. But community enforcement officers will have the right to issue on-the-spot fines.
"The biggest problem we face is those whose second nature is to spit. We need to get people out of this habit and try and educate them that it is poor manners, it is a health issue and it is disgusting."
The anti-spitting campaign will run for six months in Fairfield and is expected to be adopted after the trial.
Mr Khoshaba told The Daily Telegraph he hoped other councils in Sydney would adopt a similar approach.
A spokeswoman from the Fairfield Migrant Resource Centre said spitting was not limited to ethnic groups.
"We know it is a health risk and I do not think it is seen in this community as a good health practice," the spokeswoman said.
While such council decisions are rare, spitting bans are not entirely uncommon to Australians.
Early last century spitting was banned to stem a tuberculosis epidemic.
Fairfield's ban will also target gum chewers who spit gum on the ground.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20349111-1242,00.html
:rofl:
Believed to be the first ruling of its kind in the state, the Sydney suburb of Fairfield has become a spit-free zone, with signage to be painted on footpaths and an awareness program launched to deter offenders.
More accustomed to dishing out parking tickets, council officers will now have the power to slap spitters with fines ranging from $110 to $1100.
Councillor Ninos Khoshaba hopes the anti-spitting campaign will rid the community of the "filthy habit".
He denied the rule was targeting ethnic groups, in particular Fairfield and Cabramatta's large Asian community, many of whom view spitting as a customary and healthy practice.
"There is nothing pointed about this as it happens all over Sydney. It is just a disgusting habit and a public health issue that we can stamp out," Mr Khoshaba said.
"This has always been about educating residents, not just about the fines. But community enforcement officers will have the right to issue on-the-spot fines.
"The biggest problem we face is those whose second nature is to spit. We need to get people out of this habit and try and educate them that it is poor manners, it is a health issue and it is disgusting."
The anti-spitting campaign will run for six months in Fairfield and is expected to be adopted after the trial.
Mr Khoshaba told The Daily Telegraph he hoped other councils in Sydney would adopt a similar approach.
A spokeswoman from the Fairfield Migrant Resource Centre said spitting was not limited to ethnic groups.
"We know it is a health risk and I do not think it is seen in this community as a good health practice," the spokeswoman said.
While such council decisions are rare, spitting bans are not entirely uncommon to Australians.
Early last century spitting was banned to stem a tuberculosis epidemic.
Fairfield's ban will also target gum chewers who spit gum on the ground.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20349111-1242,00.html
:rofl:
