Prov. hopes to ban smoking

News Release
Ont. Government

The McGuinty government is protecting the health of all Ontarians by introducing legislation that would prohibit smoking in all workplaces and enclosed public places in the province, Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman announced today.
“Smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke is the number one preventable killer in Ontario today,” Smitherman said. “We promised to make all workplaces and enclosed public places in Ontario 100 per cent smoke-free. The legislation we are introducing today will fulfill this commitment and attack the chief cause of death and disease in this province.”
The proposed legislation would prohibit smoking in all workplaces, protecting all workers regardless where they are employed, and would prohibit smoking in all enclosed public places which are not primarily a place of residence as of May 31, 2006. This would include restaurants, bars, schools, private clubs, healthcare facilities, sports arenas, entertainment venues, work vehicles and offices including government buildings. The proposed Act would also limit the sale, distribution and use of tobacco products, including stricter measures to ensure only those 19 years of age and older can buy cigarettes. It would ban all countertop displays at retail outlets and prohibit the promotion of tobacco products at entertainment venues.
“The government is to be applauded for the leadership it is showing by banning smoking in all workplaces and enclosed public places in Ontario,” said Michael Perley, Director of the Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco. “This new legislation would override a patchwork of municipal by-laws on smoking and send a clear message that second-hand smoke is extremely harmful, and that it’s not to be tolerated in any enclosed place where people work or gather.”
“This proposed legislation is fair and balanced,” Smitherman said. “We’ve consulted broadly, worked closely with our stakeholders, and we’re confident that a large majority of Ontarians support what we’re doing.”
This proposed legislation is part of the government’s comprehensive tobacco control strategy, which also includes initiatives to prevent young people from starting to smoke and helping smokers who are ready to quit.