A squeeze is being put on where smokers and vapers can legally light up.
An amendment to North Bay’s smoking by-law put forward by City Councillor Marcus Tignanelli, has so far received support from fellow councillors, although it must still go through second and third reading.
Council passed a ban on smoking in parks, now council is banning smoking in all public places and workplaces. "This includes all lit substances, so this is tobacco, vapor products, and cannabis,” said Tignanelli.
A presentation made by the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit to council asked for stringent changes to the current smoking by-law.
“We’re asking the city to have more enhanced legislation, so smoking and tobacco and vaping are all together, and to enhance more of the legislation so that it is not normalized. I would hope that they would be a little bit more stringent than what Ontario’s has been,” said Dr. Jim Chirico Medical Officer of Health.
“We would hope to see that you wouldn’t be able to walk down the streets smoking cannabis,” said Chirico.
“You can’t walk down the street and drink alcohol openly. We would want a similar thing for cannabis as well.”
Chirico is also against designated smoking areas.
“Having a designated smoking area actually prolongs smoking and makes it a little easier to continue smoking. We feel especially for places that want to go smoke-free that they should not have any designated smoking areas.”
The Smoke-Free Ontario Act was updated last fall.
“On October 17, 2018, the legislation changed. That is when the Smoke-Free Ontario Act was updated to include cannabis and electronic cigarettes (vaping). So, municipalities are really starting to build their by-laws and strengthen them to match that,” explained Stephanie Lachapelle, community health promoter.
The changes make it clear where people can smoke around some buildings.
“Community recreational facilities is new, so it is 20 metres from the perimeter of the grounds. That is probably the biggest one. Also, nine metres from restaurants and bar patios as well, and 20 metres from school grounds,” said Lachapelle.
If passed, the amendments will toughen up the city’s existing smoking by-law.
“The Smoke Free Ontario Act allows municipalities to be more stringent, but they cannot be less. So, in consultation with the health unit over the last two months, we have drafted a motion. We have gone through the legal requirements, and we have made it more stringent than the Smoke Free Ontario Act to become a smoke-free city,” said Tignanelli.
The number one question has to do with enforcement.
“It is about making the rules so black and white, that there is no confusion and is denormalizing this, and people will self-enforce. The last time you saw someone smoking in a restaurant was a long time ago, and that is because now you would never think to light up in a restaurant. We’re creating that same atmosphere, and ultimately promoting the healthy active community that North Bay keeps reminding citizens that we are,” said Tignanelli.
“This will be in coordination with the health unit, and there will be a large education campaign launched in support of this.”
Chirico would like to see the day when North Bay is completely smoke-free.
“I really don’t believe that we are where we need to be. I would love to see tobacco eliminated completely. Is that practical? Not right now,” said Chirico.
He believes once passed, the by-law will be one of the first of its kind in Ontario and hopes it will encourage other municipalities to follow suit.