Butt Out Ontario

The countdown for Smoke-Free Ontario is on and Wendy Carew, Director of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention for the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, says she can’t wait for the new tough province wide legislation to be in place.

May 31st launches the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, an new era of protection for Ontarions and new legislation that sets the bar high for North America.

Carew says for North Bay and Parry Sound the new legislation means that all workers will be protected from the deadly effects of second-hand smoke.

Full details in the release below.

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With less than 30 days to go before the Smoke-Free Ontario Act comes into effect, communities are counting down the days until all workers are guaranteed a safe, healthy smoke-free workplace. On May 31, one of the strongest smoke-free laws in North America comes into effect. For North Bay Parry Sound residents, that means that all workplaces, including bars and restaurants will soon be 100% smoke-free. It also means much greater restrictions on the retail promotion of tobacco products, with a complete display ban coming into effect on May 31st, 2008.

“Our smoke-free strategy makes us a leader in North America by creating safer smoke-free work environments, preventing young people from starting to smoke and assisting smokers to quit,” says Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson.

“The legislation will protect workers and the public from exposure to second-hand smoke and it will help to ensure that young people don’t pick up this deadly addiction,” says Dr. Sheela Basrur, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.

As the countdown to May 31st continues, you can contact the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit for information and resources to help you prepare for Smoke-Free Ontario.

"We're excited and thankful that the Smoke-Free Ontario Act will go into effect in only 30 days. This is great news for North Bay Parry Sound District," said Wendy Carew, Director of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention for the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit." May 31st marks the beginning of a new era in Ontario. All workers will soon be protected from the deadly effects of second-hand smoke"

For more information on Smoke-Free Ontario Act, contact the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit at (705) 474-1400 or 1-800-563-2808 or visit our website