Smoke Police won't raid at 12:01

The Smoke Police will not be raiding bars at 12:01 a.m. Thursday looking for infringements of North Bay’s new smoking bylaw, says Wendy Carew, of the North Bay and District Health Unit.

Rather, said Carew, the health unit will be more civil in its enforcement.

“We plan to use a gradual and reasonable approach,” said Carew, public health director of the unit’s Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention program.

“We know the majority of businesses concerned will comply voluntarily with the bylaw because they want compliance.”

Random visits
Carew said compliance checks will be carried out by public health inspectors as part of their regular inspections of establishments that sell food.

Tobacco enforcement officers will make random visits to establishments, or follow-up on complaints.

“We will begin these checks into the new year and also encourage anyone who hasn’t yet received our information kit to contact us,” Carew said.

“The onus will be on employers and proprietors to make sure the bylaw is adhered to by customers and employees, and to make sure ‘No Smoking’ signs are posted where they’re supposed to be.”

Information kits include four free signs.

Level playing field
Written warnings will be given out for a first offense, Carew said, and fines of up to $5,000 can be issued for further offenses. Smokers are also subject to receiving $150 tickets for smoking in a smoke-free area.

“People are telling us they’re pleased because at least now we have a level playing field,” Carew said.

In the meantime affected businesses are trying to adjust to the new bylaw, said North Bay realtor Dennis Mong, property manager for Partners Billiards and Bowling Centre.

Mong, pictured above, is also spokesperson for the Pro Business Group, consisting of the Bull and Quench, Peachy’s Restaurant, the Portage, Don Cherry’s, Wylders, the Zoo, Partners and other bars, restaurants and bingo halls.

“Most of our businesses are trying to look at other sources to try to increase their revenue base to compensate for the lost sales they anticipate,” Mong said.

Begin compliance
John Lechlitner, owner of Wylders and The Zoo, has gone back into the food business, reopening the kitchen in Wylders.

He said he’s taken all the “necessary steps” to make sure his staff is educated about the new bylaw, and they’ll begin posting the ‘No Smoking’ signs early Wednesday evening.

“That’s when we’ll also start working on compliance,” Lechlitner said.