Smoking is no longer allowed in the outdoor dining areas of licensed premises, restaurants and cafes, and is now also banned within four metres of these outdoor dining areas.

In addition, smoking is not allowed within 10 metres of a food fair stall.

These locations add to a growing list of areas across NSW where smokers are not allowed to light up.

The reaction to the new legislation on the Western Advocate's Facebook page was swift - and mixed.

Ex-smoker Suzie McFarlane was quick to say smokers needed to exercise a bit of common sense.

"If the smoker uses common sense and moves away from others, I can't see a problem. After all, cigarettes aren't an illegal substance," she pointed out.

"[I] agree smoking is a bad habit [but] I do feel smokers are treated like they are doing something sinister.

"Meanwhile, drug addicts have access to needle exchange and methadone."

Scott Hanrahan claimed respectful smokers are "already shunted out into the elements [and] are further hobbled by the actions of a few".

"Perhaps now some dining areas could be 'whinge free','screaming kid free' or 'bad language free'," he posted.

But Fleagle Fraser wrote"About time" and Michael Byrne suggested the entire Bathurst CBD should be non-smoking.

On-the-spot fines of $300 apply to individuals who smoke in a commercial outdoor dining area.

Penalties of up to $550 apply to business owners if a person is found to be smoking in the outdoor eating area.

NSW Health's website said the Smoke-free Environment Act 2000 bans smoking in enclosed public places and certain outdoor public areas.

"These bans protect people from harmful second-hand tobacco smoke - the smoke which smokers exhale after inhaling from a lit cigarette," the website states.

"There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke."