Wanganui District Council has lent its weight to government efforts to create a smoke-free nation - but not to the point of creating its own bylaws.
That position was reaffirmed when the council met for the final time this week and signed off a number of committee recommendations.
Among them was one from the community and environment committee, which initiated the smoke-free debate last month and decided to educate the public, rather then introduce punitive bylaws.
Some councillors balked at references in one recommendation to "de-normalise" smoking but when that word was deleted from the recommendation it was passed.
Councillor Michael Laws said he was concerned that de-normalising was a word that stigmatised smokers, "making them social lepers for something that isn't illegal".