City to Explore Expansion of Outdoor Tobacco Use Bans
Prince George, B.C. – The City of Prince George is going to explore expanding outdoor tobacco use restrictions.
Administration will do some more research to see what kind of enhancements might be acceptable, including restrictions on “e-cigarettes.”
But Councilor Brian Skakun says no matter what comes forth, he is concerned about enforcement. The City’s Director of Legal and Regulatory Services, Walter Babicz, says the communities already enhancing outdoor tobacco use have relied on education and signage to get the message across.
The report to Council included examples of enhancement of Provincial regulations that are in place in other communities. Those enhancements include more than doubling of the buffer zones around doors, windows air intakes and patios by the communities of Richmond, Surrey and New Westminster, which have all expanded that buffer from the provincially required 3 meters to 7.5 meters.
While the Province calls for restrictions to smoking in outdoor patios serving food and alcohol, the communities of Nanaimo, Richmond and Surrey go a step further by not permitting such activity.
The Provincial law prohibits smoking in a vehicle when there is a minor (under 16) in that vehicle, but again, Richmond and Surrey take it further banning such practice when there is anyone under the age of 19 in the vehicle.
The communities examined also provide stiff prohibitions on smoking on any Civic owned properties.
“We have to realize smoking is an addiction” says Councilor Albert Koehler. “When it comes to enforcement, I’m not really worried too much.”
Councilor Murry Krause says there are some smokers who will feel “put upon” but there are others who have told him restrictions have made them smoke a little less. Krause put forth a motion that calls for Administration to: prepare a draft bylaw for preliminary discussion purposes together with a public consultation process with the various stakeholder groups.
The motion was approved unanimously.
Comments
This study is an absolute waste of my taxes. Another bylaw that will not be enforced. Get over yourself Murry Krause.
Koehler’s statement is common sense, if he runs in the next election, he will get my vote.
Great intentions… But what is the point of putting forward a bylaw that like the current one will never be enforced?
Smokers stink…
Our City operates under the **Monkey see, Monkey do** format. So if some other City is doing something, then we will do it also. We are followers not leaders.
I think they have pushed the envelope about as far as they can with this no smoking BS. If they push to hard they may find that smokers will just smoke anywhere and force them to try and enforce their bylaws.
Perhaps while they are kicking the s..t out of the smokers they should pass a few bylaws about drinking. After all alcohol is a poison. So is the diesel spewing out of the City buses, that no one seems to care about.
Ugh… I am anti-smoking, never have smoked, bug people to quit multiple times per day, but, I am getting more and more frustrated with City Council being a Nanny. We are slowly losing every freedom for “the greater good” I elected council and pay taxes for 1) Road 2)water 3) sewer 4) garbage pick up. That is it, the rest is kinda nice to have. I did not elect them to decide if a restaurant can have smoking outside or not (if I dont’ like I won’t go there, they will set their own policies), if I can idle my car when I am cold, where I can park my RV, or any of the other rules they can dream up. How about this, use all the time you have trying to be my mom and figure out how to lower my taxes.
I totally agree with you porter.I really think it’s getting ridiculous how council and other levels of government are trying to micro manage everyone’s personal freedoms and how they live their lives.
Posted on Tuesday, September 30, 2014 @ 3:58 AM by jakeadoo
I totally agree with you porter.I really think it’s getting ridiculous how council and other levels of government are trying to micro manage everyone’s personal freedoms and how they live their lives.
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The only issue with this sentiment is that while “they live their lives” they’re slowly killing everyone in the vicinity.
They city spends an inordinate amount of money studying these bylaw changes but never enforces them. How about bike helmets for a start…
Posted on Tuesday, September 30, 2014 @ 7:10 AM by contractor
They city spends an inordinate amount of money studying these bylaw changes but never enforces them. How about bike helmets for a start…
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Bike helmets are a provincial law; it’s up to the mounties to enforce that one.
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