New Tobacco Rules in Effect Today

Monday, March 31, 2008 03:50 AM

Prince George, B.C. - New rules that restrict the promotion and sale of tobacco products take effect in B.C. today.

The new rules were announced last November by the Provincial Ministry of Health.

The rules ban:

Smoking in all indoor public spaces and work places, with exemptions made for the ceremonial use of tobacco by Aboriginal people;
Smoking within three metres of public and workplace doorways, open windows or air intakes;
Tobacco sales in public buildings including: hospitals and health facilities, universities and colleges, athletic and recreational facilities, and provincial government buildings;
Display of tobacco products in all places where tobacco is sold that are accessible to youth under 19; and
Tobacco ads that hang from the ceiling, countertop tobacco displays, self-serve tobacco displays and outdoor tobacco signs.

The new provincial regulations will establish a baseline that landlords, businesses , municipalities and health authorities can choose to exceed to fit the needs of their community, clients and population. Unless prohibited by municipal regulations, smoking will still be allowed on the outdoor patios of restaurants and bars, as long as that patio area is not substantially enclosed.

"These new regulations will do more to protect British Columbians from the deadly effects of second-hand smoke and that is great news for thisprovince," said Scott McDonald, executive director of the B.C. Lung Association. "Youth are particularly vulnerable, and making it more difficult for those under 19 to access tobacco products is a good step forward in protecting the respiratory health of our children."

Enforcement officers, employed by the provincial health authorities, will be responsible for the day-to-day enforcement of the new tobacco regulations, and smokers or businesses who fail to comply with the smoke-free provision may be subject to a fine.

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Posted on Monday, March 31, 2008 03:50 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: whitewater on March 31 2008 5:05 AM

Good to see that the Aboriginal people can continue their tradional lifestle with new regulations taking effect.

Posted by: redneck on March 31 2008 6:20 AM

There is a new drug that really works for those trying to quit.Check with your doctor.I know about 10 people who went on this and all of them quit when they couldn't do it before with the patch.It is expensive but so are cigarettes these days.

Posted by: wrinkledawg on March 31 2008 6:51 AM

You have to want to quit,It very hard and it takes a lot of determination. I did it ,2 packs a day to zero,cold turkey.
that was 18 years ago.I paid myself the cost of smokes evey week that I quite until I figured I kicked the habit ,every time I craved a smoke I went for a walk or found something to do to take my mind off of it. it was tough to do. Good luck to thoughs that try.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on March 31 2008 7:24 AM

Thank heavens I was too poor to buy smokes when I was young. I don't know if I could quit. Oh well, I have decades of second hand smoke, sawmill dust and beehive burner ash to tide me over. Nearly pension time and still no health issues.
Time sure fly's. Anyone remember the name of that lady that worked for the Cancer Society in PG. She died about 6 years ago of lung cancer and never smoked a day in her life, and no second hand smoke either. It's these human genetic factors which smokers use to keep on puffing.

Coffee is next.

Posted by: BCRacer on March 31 2008 7:29 AM

So how does one get ahold of the puffer police...
surely they can't expect the RCMP to tie up officers chasing smoke when they are needed so badly elsewhere.
It will be interesting to see if anything changes or if it just gets hidden....shall check out a few eating joints and see...
I see both sides of this picture very well...
Non-smokers won't be happy and the smokers won't be happy....
So who is going to be the first poor sap who gets his face kicked in by some yoyo because he says something about the yoyo smoking in the wrong area.

Posted by: BCRacer on March 31 2008 7:32 AM

I'll coin the phrase

"smoke rage"...

there, they have a feel good expression for inability to control ones temper.

Posted by: Gofaster on March 31 2008 7:45 AM

Better yet...
lets call it

"SMOKER's SNIT"

Posted by: Bridge on March 31 2008 11:01 AM

The Health Department used to have health inspectors so if they are still around they would probably do the job.

It is very difficult to quit the habit but can be done and I have to agree that one needs a reason. I quit the habit twice and then my Doctor told me, if you dont stop smoking you will stop breaathing". And that did it.

And dont let the genetic factors deter you. I had a twin that passed on with lung cancer a number of years ago and he smoked all his life. I havent smoked for 30 years and still feel great.

Cheers

Posted by: Maggie on March 31 2008 11:25 AM

When is enough, enough. We treat smokers like they are doing something illegal. They are not. The gov't rakes in millions. I'd like to see a comparison study done between the smokers medical conditions/costs and those caused by drinkers/drunk drivers/family abuse due to alcohol. No one has every dialed 911 because lit a cigarette and was beating someone. No one is saying we have to get rid of all the bars. Everyone can drink to their hearts content so long as they don't have a cigarette. So have another for the road, just make sure you don't smoke and drive!!!!!!

Posted by: BCRacer on March 31 2008 11:32 AM

Yes, quiting is hard...almost 12 years for me and still get the urge and smokers right outside eateries and mall entrances make it really difficult...

Posted by: lmorg on March 31 2008 11:59 AM

So, if a first nations person is smoking a cigarette outside your workplace door and wearing a headress is he exempt? Doesnt seem fair to other minorities.

Posted by: owl on March 31 2008 12:13 PM

"We treat smokers like they are doing something illegal. They are not."

Sure looks to me like they are. Smoking is not illegal per se. However, smoking is restricted to locations and selling cigarettes and advertising is also restricted.

In fact, when one think about it, there are many things like that in our society. There are many things that are not illegal as long as the conditions of use of doing the activity are met. If not, they become illegal.

Drinking alcoholic beverages, nudity, driving motorized vehicles, including ATVs, snowmobiles, etc., owning and walking with pets, building buildings, selling items, etc. etc.

Over the years we have moved from prohibiting alcohol to allowing alcohol to be served in places which are not visible from the street, has separate entries for men and women to having sidewalk restaurants with liquor consumed in public and children present at the table, having beer gardens at outdoor events and on and on ....

Smoking, on the other hand, has taken the opposite course since information has surfaced which deals with the effects of second hand smoke. Personally, I think some iof it is an over-reaction, however the notion of "unpleasant" in addition to "unhealthy" has also come into play. To me, that was to be expected.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on March 31 2008 12:23 PM

Had a quick look in the new Chances bingo/casino hall on Saturday night.
While it wasn't a total suprise,it was at least 85 percent 1st.Nations people.
(at least)
It was also pension weekend I was told,so I guess the government got most of it back.
I am starting to believe that's the whole idea?
These people have very little, and nobody will convince me that they were NOT the target market!
They have as much right as anybody to waste their money I suppose,but somehow it just seems a bit sleazy.
So why is our faithful government pretending to be so concerned about our health?

Posted by: lostfaith on March 31 2008 1:58 PM

I stopped Feb 18th and I can actually smell and breath again. Too cool.

Posted by: Harbinger on March 31 2008 5:22 PM

Maybe hire an independent gang to police bicycle riders without helmets and smokers. And any other social engineering wannabes to make us conform. Or fine us to compensate for our (lower?) taxes.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on March 31 2008 5:36 PM

I really would like to be a little mouse in the corner when somebdoy calls the local cop shop and say's "help!..help!..there are SMOKERS outside the door!!! Heeeelp!!!!
But you're right Harbinger...another so called "law" that nobody has time or the desire to enforce.
The only ones who will feel the impact of this are the small business owners...but we already KNOW this government doesn't give a damn about THEM!
We should all go down and stand outside the cop shop smoking, and see if they tazer us?
oh wait...I already quit...damn!
:>(

Posted by: getajob on March 31 2008 5:49 PM

Cool get rid of the smoking.. tired of smelling that crap when i enter a store and the employees are huddled like wineos at the entrance puffin away...cig butts laying allover .yah ban it!

Legalize pot, at least there is no butts laying all over and it does tend to be smoked out of view.well mostly. and its all natural.....

Oh and yes i smoked cigs for 20 years but now reborn for 6......was easy to stop....drunk tons of water and truly wanted to kick the habit....

Posted by: redneck on March 31 2008 6:02 PM

I quit 11 years back when cigarettes were 6 dollars a pack.I don't know what they are now but they are to much.With all these people quitting no wonder we need a carbon tax.Look at all the lost revenue.I wish all the people trying to quit the best of luck.

Posted by: lmorg on March 31 2008 7:17 PM

I have never smoked with the exception of the odd cigar around the ol camp fire with some buddies...It must be a terrible addiction after all who wishes to have that smoker's breath and stinky clothes? I congratulate all those who have quit.

Posted by: Harbinger on March 31 2008 8:28 PM

Maybe one will be able to puff away at 5th & Scotia just outside the fence where the "Bio-thermal burning unit"( hi-tech beehive burner) will be. Leave the kids in an idling car while you step out fer a smoke. Ya better hope the lung police don't getcha.

Posted by: thatsaboutthesizeofit on April 1 2008 10:27 AM

Why don't they just sell them in the liquor stores along with a few more products that we we problems with.
If the gov't did that I wouldn't have to pay taxes, all the smokers, drinker and drug users would.

Posted by: acrider54 on April 1 2008 3:33 PM

2 packs a day, quit 20 years ago just threw them away. Glad natives can smoke where others can't. Since when did they grow tobacco in the old days? And I don't mean 50 years ago.

Posted by: acrider54 on April 1 2008 3:34 PM

Sorry, I meant aboriginal people who ever they may be.

Posted by: acrider54 on April 1 2008 3:38 PM

By the way this Provincial Liberal government sure like to make useless laws and invent taxes such as Grant's Law, the snoking law, carbon tax (which I see local gas stations see fit to raise pices 8 cents per liter when it was supposed to be 2.4) Why can't this useless law making government make a law banning telemarkers, you know, the ones that call you and are never there.

Posted by: Harbinger on April 1 2008 4:26 PM

Maybe someone should pass a law that says you can't pass any more new laws. Just find someone to enforce our present laws. Obviously too many of our present laws to uphold are only enforced selectively. Too many laws, too many rules and too many taxes. Grrrrr.

Posted by: hello563 on April 2 2008 12:44 PM

I think the Government should stay out of my business...We all know smoking isn't good for us and we all want to quit ..
But after being told by my son that there were needle diposal in the bathroom of the ferry terminal and in the ferry bathrooms. I think they should maybe focus on the drugs I would rather see 500 people smoking on the ferry deck then one druggy on the deck strung out. But they can go into the bathroom and shoot up and dipose of the needle thats safe,protecting us YA RIGHT get a life, .People with diabetes Have their own containers. I think smokers should have a parade everone else does haha