Council expands no-smoking areas in public
News
Posted 4 months ago
There's fewer places to light up, after councillors passed two bylaws on Monday night restricting where someone can have a cigarette.
It's now against the law to have a smoke within nine metres of the entrance to a public building, and you won't be able to have a cigarette on a restaurant patio that's located on a public thoroughfare.
A public meeting on banning smoking from restaurant patios on public property was held early on during Monday's meeting.
"This is an opportunity to set the bar high again."
Penny Rush
The only member of the public to comment was Penny Rush, a public health nurse with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, who praised council for its efforts to curb smoking in public places -- including in areas around children's playgrounds.
"This is an opportunity to set the bar high again," she said.
However, Rush urged council to make the bylaw "a little more broader than the downtown core."
One concern raised by councillors with regard to smoking within restaurant patios was that the business could find itself fined.
Under the bylaw, the patio license holder is responsible for enforcing the bylaw.
Councillor Norman Sandberg pointed out the town should find an "opportunity to enforce the bylaw on the transgressor.
"I'm not clear or comfortable requiring private business enforcing municipal bylaws," he said.
It was noted that if a smoker is resisting efforts to get him or her to butt out, police could be called. The onus, however, would still be on the property owner to prove
AIR CADET SQUADRON
714 Air Cadet Squadron, Wasaga Beach, meets every Tuesday, 6:30 to 9 p.m., at the RecPlex.
All youth ages 12-18 are welcome. There are no joining fees, or weekly dues, no cost for uniforms or camps.
Make friends, accept challenge, go far. Come fly with us! every reasonable effort was made to get the offender to put out his or her cigarette.
Councillor Sonny Foley suggested the bylaw be expanded to cover all restaurant patios, and not just ones that are on public property. Several restaurants along First Street, and a couple in the downtown core, have patios on private property.
