9 meters away from being smoke free

Is nine meters the new yard stick for smokers to butt out around some local properties? If council has their way, it soon could be.

During Monday Night's City Council Meeting, there was a recommendation put forth to amend North Bay's smoking by-laws.

The City's By-law Enforcement Officer has received additional requests to prohibit smoking within nine meters of entrances of certain private workplaces and residence buildings.

Deputy Mayor Peter Chirico says that any private business or apartment complex can apply with the city in order to request assistance.

"We will put it in the non-smoking by-law and it allows us to enforce that nine meter restriction from that business," he says.

It's not surprising to find this issue once again occupying council's time as it encompasses so many people's points of view in terms of what they feel is socially acceptable.

In Northern Ontario, the issue of weather and of course, snow and cold, often make outdoor smoking less than pleasant. This can complicate the smoking by-laws which are more apt to be circumvented as a result.

Smoking, while seemingly becoming culturally obsolete, is undoubtedly an airborne, addictive, cancer causing habit that many people feel violates their airspace.

At the same time, the act of smoking is legal in Canada and those who chose to do it have their rights.

Councillor Chirico says that he strongly disagrees with the notion that smokers can light up anywhere outdoors.

"I think it's up to the individuals who own the business," he says. "On the public side of things, I think it's incumbent upon us to intrude that those are enforced."

Many people living in the community have no doubt felt the impact of the outcomes of tobacco related diseases and while a certain inevitability is often sighted as justification, a vast majority of people really don't want to be caught in a downwind of a smoker's habit.

Despite numerous phone calls to local business owners and workplaces, it's difficult to find anyone willing to make a statement publicly about their feelings on the issue and how they would like to see a nine meter smoking ban enforced.

While emotional on both sides of the issue, often many people such as health care providers, pharmacies, even tourist and food industries are concerned about liabilities for their patrons and employees, not to mention the possibility of negatively affecting their establishments commercial value.

Chirico says that while not all business owners will choose to have the by-law enforced, it's certainly something that the City supports.

Further complicating the matter is the issue of private rental residences, where tobacco use is not under the jurisdiction of any of the local laws.

However, oddly enough, many apartment building's boards and superintendents are requesting the implementation of the nine meter restriction zone at their entry ways.

"If a building owner decides that he wants a non-smoking environment outside their apartment building, that's their choice," says Chirico.

The non-smoking by-law was recently amended to include four additional properties located at the North Bay Regional Hospital. Those properties owned or solely leased to the North Bay General Health Center have been declared 100 percent smoke free.

Chirico says that the public has widely accepted the hospital's non smoking policies and the city has not had to exercise enforcement.

Contrary to belief, he says that there hasn't been any great public outcry with regards to infringing on anyone's right to smoke.

"I think that all people recognize that this is a good thing for the public."