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Posts:581
Rank: God
Posted: May 30 2006 at 08:13 PM

Ontario, Quebec smoking bans take effect tonight

Updated Tue. May. 30 2006 3:20 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Puffers in Ontario and Quebec will be forced to take their smoking habit outside starting at midnight, as the provinces move to ban smoking inside any public place.

While both provinces are implementing similar no-smoking laws, they intend to enforce the ban in different ways.

Ontario will let early offenders off with a warning but Quebec has cautioned that it will crack down immediately.

"With any law, there tends to be a transition period,'' Ontario Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson said the Smoke-Free Ontario Act applies to virtually every indoor public space, including restaurants with covered patios.

"We think a reasonable approach is the phased-in approach, with the education, warnings and then fines," Watson told reporters at Queen's Park.

Under the Quebec law, however, owners who allow for illegal smoking will face a $400 fine for a first infraction.

If workers at an establishment do anything to hinder the work of inspectors, owners will face an extra $300 fine.

Quebec Health Minister Philippe Couillard has 75 inspectors poised to inspect 6,000 bars and restaurants by the end of summer.

The Quebec law also bans smoking in bingo halls, shopping centres, pool halls, bowling alleys, convention centres, common areas in apartment buildings of six to 12 units, among others.

Bar owner Voula Demopoulos, who owns businesses in both Ontario and Quebec, opposes the legislation.

"We believe in human rights," Demopoulos said, appearing on CTV's Canada AM.

"We believe that smokers should not be discriminated.... We believe in regulating smoking, but we do not believe in prohibiting a product that the government has legalized and has left legal in our society."

Critics say the new laws will cost businesses millions of dollars.

"We see no reason why we should not be able to welcome our smokers in our establishments -- 85 per cent of our clientele are smokers," Demopoulos said.

"Therefore, we're looking at a high clientele that from May 31st onward would not be welcome into your establishments."

While Ontario's law is similar to Quebec's, there is a significant difference.

Many Ontario municipalities, including Toronto and Ottawa, have been smoke-free for years although some still allow designated smoking rooms and smoking on patios.

But the new provincial legislation outlaws designated smoking rooms, as well as patios with roofs, even if they just partially covers patrons.

Provincial officials will publish a conclusive list of potential fines later this week.

While Ontario scofflaws will receive a warning, they shouldn't expect the grace period to last very long.

Inspectors will return to any site within a few days after issuing a warning, Ontario's chief medical officer Sheela Basrur said.

"If the offence is reoccurring, then enforcement measures will be taken," she said.

Paul McDonald, co-director of the Population Health Research Group at the University of Waterloo, applauded the Ontario-wide restrictions, saying the regulations are long overdue.

"I have absolutely no doubt that the new regulations will improve and protect thousands of lives over the coming decades," McDonald said in a written statement.

McDonald believes the regulations will have three significant impacts:

* protecting both smokers and non-smokers from second-hand smoke
* assisting current smokers to quit or reduce the amount they smoke
* restricting the visibility of smoking, "which studies have shown influence whether or not young people smoke," the statement says.

Most of the Atlantic provinces have smoking bans, plus the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, the Prairie provinces and British Columbia prohibit smoking in public places. Nova Scotia's ban takes effect at the end of the year.

With files from The Canadian Press

Posts:115
Rank: Addict
Posted: May 30 2006 at 08:50 PM

so where CAN you smoke?

39 / Female

Posts:1043
Rank: SuperGod
Posted: May 30 2006 at 08:58 PM

38 / Female

Posts:114
Rank: Addict
Posted: June 02 2006 at 01:34 PM

pretty much no where... soon there going to make it so that u cant even smoke in ur house or ur car...

38 / Female

Posts:1235
Rank: SuperGod
Posted: June 02 2006 at 07:33 PM

I fucking hate them.

Im a smoker and its completly taking my rights away.

I dont smoke in ur face when im ouside, and if im inside when i smoke and it bothers u wtf r u doing at the smoking room to begin with.

Stuiped Government.

Posts:375
Rank: God
Posted: June 02 2006 at 07:35 PM

how are they supposed to uphold that fact that you cant smoke in ur house

50 / Female

Posts:4
Rank: Newbie
Posted: June 02 2006 at 07:52 PM

lool everyone in my skool alwayz smokedd right beside the entrance doorz, now theyre all under a tree itzz hilarious

Posts:326
Rank: God
Posted: June 02 2006 at 10:09 PM

	Quote: Irka
	I fucking hate them. Im a smoker and its completly taking my rights away. I dont smoke in ur face when im ouside, and if im inside when i smoke and it bothers u wtf r u doing at the smoking room to begin with. Stuiped Government.

So if you're sitting on a bench in the park, and it's the only bench available and i want to sit down, but i don't smoke, and i sit down next to you, would you put you're cigarette out or keep smoking "in my face"? most people would keep smoking, now that's once scenario...second, not all places have a smoking section, and third smoking overall can't be justified for a person this age. it's been proven that smoking causes more stress then it supposedly relives, so that cant be used as a valid argument, the only possible conclusion is that people smoke to appear cool...there are no beneficial factors of smoking so the government is doing the smart thing and trying to keep you alive and healthy even if you don't care about your own health

38 / Female

Posts:1235
Rank: SuperGod
Posted: June 03 2006 at 02:11 AM

Some points ill have to agree with you one...

But i definitly couldnt care less whether it makes me look "cool" or not...

point is, this is a free country..why do i have to pay for other peoples bullshit?

38 / Female

Posts:1235
Rank: SuperGod
Posted: June 03 2006 at 02:11 AM

*on///jeez im drunk goodinght

Posts:362
Rank: God
Posted: June 03 2006 at 02:37 AM

stop smoking... its just dumb

Posts:326
Rank: God
Posted: June 03 2006 at 09:38 PM

	Quote: Irka
	But i definitly couldnt care less whether it makes me look "cool" or not...

So would you perhaps like to suggest a possible explanation for your smoking habits? If your argument is going to become "i can't quit" could you at least admit it was a stupid thing to start and see that these new laws make perfect sense?

Posts:326
Rank: God
Posted: June 03 2006 at 09:40 PM

The only thing i disagree on is bars/restaurants that DO have a smoking room, i don't agree shutting them down as well, that's stupid

38 / Female

Posts:1235
Rank: SuperGod
Posted: June 04 2006 at 01:55 PM

La monde is closed. No under the sun smoking. No buda bar. No coffee time. No bubble tea.

Suicide.

Posts:316
Rank: God
Posted: June 04 2006 at 04:57 PM

as long as we can still smoke herb where ever we want im cool with it

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