ONTARIO: The next time the urge to smoke hits you while at work, the wisest thing to do would be to get outdoors. A smoking ban has come into effect covering enclosed public workplaces in Ontario and Quebec. These include bars, restaurants, bingo halls,
sports arenas, schools, etc.
Premier Dalton McGuinty earned praise yesterday for delivering on one of his promises – that of making Ontario's workplaces smoke-free within three years of his election. The ban will be fully implemented with enforcement officials –
tobacco police who will go about incognito to catch violators. The ban includes restrictions on cigarette
advertising and tobacco displays in stores.
Likewise, Quebec too will see these tobacco police swooping down on restaurants and bars. If anyone is caught with a lit cigarette, the smoker as well as the owner of the establishment will be hauled up. A first offence would mean a small penalty of $400 but repeat violation of the ban would invite a hefty fine of as much as $10,000. In case of individual violators, a smoker who refuses to stub out his cigarette will be fined $50 and the smoker's persistence would invite penalties of upto $600. Violators will be given no grace period and the regulations would be enforced immediately, a police official said.
In Quebec, about 75 compliance officials have been asked to cover bars. They would monitor employees and the owners during incognito visits over the next four days. The identity of these tobacco police has been kept a secret and the authorities have turned down requests from the media which wanted to cover the operation. Some media members speculated that the actual number of the compliance officers is much larger that what has been announced, but the police refused to comment on it.
The tobacco police will visit a number of establishments that the authorities have marked as not likely to comply easily. In a
survey of over 1,000 bars, the police found that 13 percent of these would most likely disobey the order. During the four-day blitz, the agents will visit at least 6,000 of Quebec's 8,000 plus bars and return to present a report over the weekend listing the offending establishments that need stricter enforcement.
The ban is expected to hit
business at bars where the clientele generally likes to wind down with a glass and some cigarettes before they head back home. Many bar owners are opposing the move and have separated from the main industry's lobby group.
In Quebec, the ban even prevents bar owners from designating their premises as smoking or non-smoking. But the government does allow bars to have an unattached, enclosed shed where the customers can smoke but will not be served food or beverages.
