Health unit enters new age of tobacco enforcement

Smoke 'em if you got 'em, just keep well enough away.

Regulatory changes under the Smoke Free Ontario Act have brought about some significant changes for restaurants and recreation facilities with the New Year.

As of January 1, 2015 smoking is no longer allowed on bar and restaurant patios, providing cleaner air for workers and patrons, and protecting them from the dangers of second-hand smoke. Couple with this regulation is a province-wide ban on smoking within 20 metres of public playgrounds and sports fields.

The regulation speaks to, though it doesn't directly include mandatory setbacks from entrances at other public facilities such as arenas. Rather, that is generally dictated by a patchwork of municipal bylaws.

It's a question we receive a lot, said program manager for chronic disease prevention and tobacco control for the Middlesex-London Health Unit, Linda Stobo. That's something that isn't dictated.

While there are some restrictions for smoking in entrance ways at provincially-run facilities, such as the 9 metre prohibited zone outside hospitals and long-term care facilities, other workplace and public entrances are at the call of the host municipality.

In the case of businesses, sometimes restrictions are made because of customer or employee complaints, though Stobo said many have chosen to implement their own policies and signage.

A good rule of thumb is to look for a sign, Stobo said. If there is a setback, you are not supposed to smoke in that doorway.

Timing has been a challenge with the new regulations. The announcement about patios, for instance, was made very late last year, leaving little time for the health unit to reach out to bar and restaurant operators. However, many owner/operators had already converted to smoke free places after previous regulatory changes that banned smoking from covered patios.

If anything, this legislation provides a consistent business playing field across the province, Stobo noted. It is a lot cleaner and easier to understand if there are consistent rules around smoking restrictions.

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Health unit enters new age of tobacco enforcement