Busy shopping strips could also get the designated rooms and smokers could be made to pay to use them, much like some public toilets.

Dr Ron Borland, co-director of VicHealth's Centre for Tobacco Control, said smoking outside city buildings was a problem that demanded action.

Dr Borland said with growing bans on smoking indoors, "there may be a need to consider if we should set up safe ingesting rooms".

"Just as we don't want heroin addicts shooting up in back alleys, so too we don't want to push smokers into those situations," he said. "I believe there will be moves to ban pavement smoking as a public annoyance issue.

"It is difficult to justify this ban on public health grounds.

"But in terms of the annoyance factor, people have to walk through clouds of smoke to get into buildings and stand behind smokers and this will become an increasing problem."

Dr Borland conceded the smoking rooms idea was controversial, but outdoor bans had already been introduced in Tasmania and overseas.

Councils and possibly the State Government would be responsible for the spaces and local government groups have indicated they are open to the idea.

Dr Borland, who has an international reputation for tobacco controls, said with about 23 per cent of adults still smoking, those addicted had to go somewhere.

He said smoking rooms - some of which could be open space and others fully enclosed with separate ventilation - should not be serviced as this would encourage people to stay in them, especially those near office blocks.

"You do not want to allow these rooms to become a smokers' club," he said.

The push comes as local councils search for ways to deal with the massive litter problem from pavement smokers.

The State Government has already asked Parliament's all-party Family and Community Development Committee to investigate possible future reforms.

The peak local government body has welcomed Dr Borland's ideas.

"I see some merit in proposing a level of direction to where people can smoke," said Municipal Association of Victoria president Brad Matheson. "If we had designated smoking areas, properly signed, with receptacles for cigarette butts, it would be much more orderly and there would be less litter."

Victorian Local Gov ernance Association chief executive Mike Hill said cigarette butts were the single biggest item in the litter stream.

"Councils have to tackle it now we've pushed smoking out into the street," Mr Hill said.

He said there could be legal and planning problems with specific rooms.

Quit executive director Todd Harper said: "I think we are already seeing moves in that area. If you look at public buildings, there are regulations banning smoking at entrances and I think this is more likely to be an area that is not requiring legislation but that building owners will take on themselves."

Australian Council on Smoking and Health spokesman Ron Edwards said that in theory smoke rooms were a good idea but he worried it may cause a backlash among smokers.

The City of Whittlesea has already begun a vigorous litter enforcement campaign in response to public concern.

It has been so successful that Whittlesea accounts for 50 per cent of litter fines issued in Victoria. The most common item is cigarette butts.

A spokesman for Health Minister John Thwaites said any future statewide reforms would only take place if they had community support.

Councils and other groups are set to converge on the Melbourne Town Hall today for a cigarette butt litter prevention summit.

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