Smoking will be banned at three more hospitals in northern New South Wales from today.

The new rules will apply at Ballina, Byron Bay and Mullumbimby district hospitals, as well as the Kingscliff Community Health Centre.

The northern Rivers Area Health Service’s Annie Kia says the changes, in line with NSW health policy, will promote better health for everyone on site.

“Patients and staff and visitors will have to put out their cigarettes at the boundary and not smoke inside the grounds of the site,” she said.

“We will be managing the nicotine dependence of patients who are smokers and offering patients nicotine replacement therapy if appropriate.”