no smokingSmokers have even fewer places to light up in Chilliwack now, after council yesterday approved a new bylaw banning smoking in all outdoor public spaces….this includes all parks, trails, bus stops and near public facilities.  Dr Andrew Larder with Fraser Health says it will help cut down the risk of fires, damage to local parks and reduce the cost of cleanup.

“The restrictions will actually have some other benefits as well.  They will strengthen our efforts to de-normalize tobacco use.  In particular, it will reduce the number of places that young people can go to smoke.  It also can provide assistance to smokers to quit or cut down on the number of cigarettes they smoke simply because the opportunity to smoke in those places is removed.”

Mayor Sharon Gaetz says she understands that enforcement will be tough, but self enforcement among smokers should increase.

“I think there are ways to be able to ask people to kindly not smoke.  I really did appreciate in the presentation (we received) how important this is for children and young families who often go to our public parks to play and are exposed, without any recourse to second hand smoke.  So I totally support this.”

While enforcement may not be easy, IF anyone is caught breaking the bylaw they could get up to $10,000 in fines.

Fraser Health and the Canadian Cancer Society were on hand to support the bylaw. Other municipalities have brought in similar bans, and it seems to have done the trick, cutting down on fires and cleanup cost.  Most other cities have aimed for voluntary compliance, but in Vancouver for example, bylaw officers have had to issue some tickets.
Ann Marie Walsh with the Cancer Society said smoking is a burden on the health care system, and this will also help with their goal of seeing the tobacco rates cut to 9% by 2020.