Visitors to a County Durham park are being asked not to smoke when in or near the children's play area.
The outdoor play area at Riverside Park, in Chester-le-Street, is the first of 178 owned by Durham County Council to become a smoke-free zone.
The authority is introducing the voluntary no-smoking code as part of its work as a member of the Smoke-free County Durham Tobacco Control Alliance to reduce the harm caused by tobacco.
Signs will be placed in and around each play area asking adults to abide by the code.
Evidence suggests that by reducing children's exposure to smoking and making it less socially acceptable, children are less likely to take up the habit themselves.
Almost 500 people took part in a public consultation on the initiative last year, with 81 per cent saying they strongly agreed with the idea of smoke-free play areas.
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