I think the part about parks should just remain a guideline and not be something that is enforceable via fines. Sure they could be asked to leave, but one starts to wonder is this what its all about for this council… fines for having a smoke in the park, or parking on Ospika to pick up the kids… and then one has to wonder whats next?

I don’t smoke and I find tobacco smoke horrible. I notice tobacco smokers tend to get a little squirlly if they haven’t had their smoke. If they aren’t bothering anyone in a park then I say let them have at it.

I use to live in a apartment building and the thing was build in the late 70’s and had a draft that went from one end of the building to the other… I think the walls were hollow and could detect the smoke coming from the walls. I tell you it really sucked big time… I tried to tape the wall to the floor, replace the door seals, and worse yet I’d open the window to get fresh air and would get the chimney effect instead. So I didn’t live there long and I bet the ones that do all eventually die of cancer.

But this whole business of outlawing even the parks only has the follow on consequence of driving these people indoors. A building like the one I was in now sell themselves as ‘condo’s’, so a mans condo is his cancel… good luck getting a building full of condo owning smokers to stop, but if they could at least walk out back to the park for a smoke without threat of fine I think that would help some.

So the plan if I read this right is we will be driving these condo owning smokers indoors, under the threat of fine if they smoke in the neighboring park? And what about anyone else that lives with a smoker, drive them indoors as well?

lol word check there should have said a mans castle and not cancel… but I’m sure we all figured that out.

I totaly agree Eagleone. Its getting too carried away with the loosely worded “open space areas” haha. But i guess they have to write it all as a legal document, and its better to be all inclusive of these fringe areas and enforce the rules selectively, than to have nothing in writting at all. Best case scenario is it passes with public input first, but is used as a tool to rid nuisances not a tool to harass EVERYONE EVERYWHERE. A perfect example would be Ft George Park on Canada day. Its frickin shoulder to shoulder as is and then some loser doesnt want to walk away 100′ for 5 minutes to have a smoke and suddenly 60 people (including kids) are being exposed. In this event an aleady present RCMP or bylaw could say “hey, smoke somewhere else, there is a bylaw, and signage”. But in no case do I think its a good idea for someone in a desolate park on a walk to get a fine for lighting up…

most of this is in effect now…
there has been no smoking in taxis for years..
other than that I have yet to see any of them enforced.

Now as you enter a business you start walking through the wall of smoke from 9 meters to the doors…. Spruceland mall is a good example… you can’t walk the length of the mall and not go though a cloud of smoke.

I’m happy if they just enforce the rules they have. At least the smokers in front of kin centre doors would open the door for you if your hands were full but you still had to walk through a cloud of smoke.

IMO there shouldn’t be any smoking where kids are present ie soccer fields, playgrounds, etc.

There is no smoking anywhere on airport property including outside which I think is kind of harsh considering some people arriving could have gone for quite awhile already without a smoke.

Why don’t they just enforce the laws they have now? The hospital is disgusting, people smoking in front of the sign that says ‘no smoking’. Build those people a smoking room, get them out of our sight on the way in.

“Now as you enter a business you start walking through the wall of smoke from 9 meters to the doors….”

I agree. It’s awful. At Pine Center you can often see people smoking underneath the no smoking signs. The current no smoking rules are not being enforced, so how does making new ones make a difference?

I am a smoker and agree that some areas should not be smoked in.. And a lot of us smokers can and will be respectful of these rules.. Just once I would love to see a sign that says Please be respectful to the people around you and refrain from smoking while you are here, much more user friendly than NO NO NO..

While I have no issues with increasing no smoking boundaries around public/civic buildings and parks, When will they start cracking down on industrial air polluters? Between the Husky refinery, pulpmills and the CN rail yard on 1st ave you almost have to chew the air you breathe within the bowl on many mornings.

Lets clear the air here, there seem to be more cases of kids with athsma in PG than any other town I have lived in. Industry appears to be the differentiating factor. Some will have the public believe that road dust and woodstoves are the main cause of air issues around town, but I beg to differ.

Yes, non smokers should have the ability to avoid second hand smoke. Will the City hire extra bylaw officers to enforce these regulations, and start enforcing the already abused no parking areas at the same time? Or do we add these to the large list of unenforced bylaws which the general public already thumbs their nose at?

Bear with me. When I started accounting the Income Tax Act was about 2 inches thick with readable print. It’s now about 4 inches thick with print the size you need a magnifying glass and can be used as a weapon. I wonder if the City has got regulation book envy or something. Every week there seem to be more proposed by -laws to restrict people’s behavior even more, but unlike the Income Tax Act, few if any are enforced. I mean, this is the one city where you look both ways before you step onto the side walk when leaving a building in case a bicycle hits you – and you’re worried about a guy smoking 9 meters away?

Have you ever observed those parents that give their kids tons of rules, but enforce none, and then the kids tune them out – and become unmanageable. This is what this city is becoming. Why not narrow it done to a few by-laws that really matter, work on them, because right now every time the city opens it’s mouth, people just tune them out.

Here’s some by-laws that you could start with. Loud music – affects 100’s of people, barking dogs – drives people crazy, parking on sidewalks, riding bicycles on sidewalks downtown – a real hazard. If you can nail those ones down, then let’s talk about putting more screws to smokers – I’m not a smoker for full disclosure

How about marijuana, would the rules apply there. Hardly can go anywhere in town without that stink. Back entrance to Pine Center Mall is a good example. Can’t drink booze in public, seems dope gets a pass.

How ’bout they deal with the smoke that’s really making people sick…woodsmoke from homes in high density urban areas.

Every October we have neighbours that spark up their smokestacks next door that fill our house with smoke for the next 6 months and the coughing begins. They are relentless burners with old stoves I guess because the plume boiling out of their houses non-stop look like the stacks at the pulp mill.

If people in urban areas need to burn, the city should force them to buy those high efficiency stoves with very low particulate output, at the very least.

And establish and enforce a maximum smoke output.

Finally!! Now get the damn industrial polluters fixed up and I will enjoy living in the bowl.

I agree also Friday about the wood stoves. My neighbor 2 doors down fills my house with smoke. I asked him about it and he says he has no other source of heat for his basement – why does that become my problem? We are now installing an expensive furnace with a huge filter.

No one monitors the 9 meter rule anyway. What difference will this make? Pine centers back door is the worst. (I am an X smoker) I agree with any law than bans smoking. Its a major health concern and a huge part of the problem with respect to healthcare costs in BC and Canada.

As an asthmatic, the only thing that triggers me to reach for my red Turbuhaler is wood smoke.

Not road dust ( I work on forest service roads all day and inhale road dust – no issues) .Not industrial emissions.

Wood smoke.

I agree with seamutt. What about marijuana smokers. If smoking marijuana in public becomes legal, and people smoke for medicinal purposes are they going to be subject to all these rules and regulations regarding smoking???

Surely we have better things to do.

Anyone with half a brain and a butt knows that at some point people will just smoke and ignore all these rules and regulations. Much like the Bicycle Helmet laws. Who pays any attention to helmets??

Cool but u can still smoke on hospital property ?

Sadly, my grandson has asthma and its a challenge at the best of times with local air quality. Public spaces like the mall, or hospital with crowds of smokers lurking around the entrances is complete madness. I support a total public ban due to the ignorance and disregard of our current laws. One just has to look at the areas that they corral in and witness the enormous amount of discarded cigarette butts they leave behind, truly these are people that don’t give a rats @*# about our community or themselves.

Ban tobacco altogether…..and we all can breathe a little bit easier

You do know that throughout history, that prohibition has never worked.
Whenever and wherever prohibition was implemented, there developed an “Underground economy” that provided the prohibited substance.

This is how some of the largest fortunes were made in the US and Canada in the early part of the 20th century.

I think it would be prudent for a government to implement some controls for safety and age appropriate access such as what is in place for alcohol, prescription drugs and tobacco. Even with these measures in place, there is little actual control. If someone wants it, they will get it, by hook, by crook, by any means regardless of law.

Do we really want a society that has laws for everything, regardless of enforcement or enforceability?

Do we need to apply for a permit to void the bowels?

Laws do not permanently affect behaviour. Social norms are much more powerful. We longer insist that a female walk 2 steps behind the males due to our social expectations, not due to law.

This is already happening with smoking in that the puritanical are ostracizing smokers, and enough people are complying that it is now a smaller number in our population that smokes.

If you not like smoke, do not be around, but by the same token, you do not have any right to determine my behaviour as long as it does not impact you.
Granted, there are many inconsiderate or oblivious smokers, but so is there many rubber tire thumpers rolling down the road thumpa rattle, thumpa rattle like that black Monte Carlo with the racing numbers in crayon on the back passenger side window.

BCGrog wrote: “As an asthmatic, the only thing that triggers me to reach for my red Turbuhaler is wood smoke.”

That post gets negative reactions. What on earth would posses some people to hit the thumbs don on such a post. It is his body. It is his body’s reaction to environmental conditions. He cannot help that. Are the negative reactions because that is his fault?

Some of these thumbs up/down responses make absolutely no sense to me.

Wood smoke can affect lung functions and can cause lung cancer. Far too many home owners within city limits burn wood in old style wood stoves and pollute the neighbourhood. They have been offered special terms on new cleaner burning stoves but some ignore that and do not care how much they damage the health of others!

The City does not enforce the no wood burning during an air advisory bylaw. Lots of laws – but no enforcement.

Ex smoker here. I hate having smoke when I’m in public because it stinks (I didnt know this til I quit). BUT hard to enforce and people who stil choose to smoke need a place to do it. Keep it out of crowded public places, away from schools, hosptials, malls, etc. and beyond that just move away if it bothers you. Meanwhile lets encourage smokers (and all) to respectful to each others needs.

I’m also an x-smoker, but I decided that I was going to become like some of the above commenters and complain just for the sake of complaining. If you don’t like the smell then do like I told others. THANK YOU FOR HOLDING YOUR BREATH WHILE I SMOKE. Some that is lacking in town here is certainly not whiners and complainers. Get a job then you wouldn’t have time to sit day and nite bitching about what others are doing. Give it a rest.