Smoking restrictions kick in Jan. 1 0

There will be fewer places for smokers to light up come the new year.

New Ontario regulations that ban smoking on all bar and restaurant patios take effect Jan. 1.

At the same time, the province is prohibiting smoking on or around playgrounds and publicly-owned sports fields.

The Ontario government will also no longer allow tobacco to be sold on university and college campuses.

These changes are to protect kids and youth from accessing tobacco products and the harmful effects of smoking, and to protect the people of Ontario from exposure to tobacco use, said Andrew Robertson, a spokesman for Associate Health Minister Dipika Damerla. Making smoking less visible will make it seem less socially acceptable to kids and can reduce the likelihood that they start smoking.

The vast majority of Ontario residents support banning smoking on playgrounds and sports fields, he added.

Sixty-five municipalities have already invoked bylaws to shelter kids on playgrounds from second-hand smoke, while 60 municipalities ban it on sports fields. The new Ontario-wide regulation means all children will get these protections, he said.

Under the new rules, there will be no smoking around basketball and soccer courts, ice rinks, tennis courts, splash pads and swimming pools owned by a municipality, province or a post-secondary institution.

Childrens playgrounds at motels, hotels and inns are also included in the smoking ban.

Anti-tobacco activists heralded the changes as a positive step forward for peoples health.

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Smoking restrictions kick in Jan. 1 0