The push is on for P.E.I. communities to eliminate some hazy jurisdictions and become 100 per cent smoke-free.
Frank Morrison, tobacco-free project manager with Recreation P.E.I. and a board member of Smoke-Free P.E.I., said he believes Stratford is on track to become the first “smoke-free community in Canada.”
He said Souris, Montague, Charlottetown, Cornwall and Summerside are also looking at expanding smoke-free policies into bylaws.
“Which would give it a lot more teeth,” said Morrison, noting the policies are currently limited. “The big change in going from a policy to bylaw, is the bylaw adds working places and multi-unit dwellings.”
Morrison said he’ll soon be meeting with 22 other municipalities with smoke-free policies.
The terms tobacco-free and smoke-free can be interpreted in different ways, with P.E.I.’s Smoke-free Places Act allowing smoking in many public spaces as long as it's in designated areas and 15 feet away from an entrance.
Morrison said the Canadian Council of Tobacco Control states that smoke-free means “100 per cent smoke-free.”
“We wouldn’t be going around looking for people to catch them smoking, we’re just trying to change the culture… we want to promote the positive health effects of not smoking and educate about the dangers of second-hand smoke.”
-Coun. Jody Jackson
Stratford Mayor David Dunphy said the town has formed a subcommittee to look at expanding the current policy, which applies to town-owned properties not covered by the provincial act.
However, the policy does not have jurisdiction in public places the town does not own, such as commercial properties.
“(We’re) consulting with our residents and businesses to see what the desirability and feasibility is of expanding the tobacco-free policy within the town,” said Dunphy.
Coun. Jody Jackson, who chairs sustainability committee and the subcommittee, said there will be three questions on the issue included in next month’s annual resident survey.
Jackson said no decision has been made yet but added he’s heard some feedback supporting expanding the policy.
“But we want to hear from everyone,” he said, adding that while a bylaw would allow for greater enforcement, it’s not the goal. “We wouldn’t be going around looking for people to catch them smoking, we’re just trying to change the culture… we want to promote the positive health effects of not smoking and educate about the dangers of second-hand smoke.”
Jackson noted it was a good time to take a broader look at the town’s policy, since it already has to be updated to include e-cigarettes.
He said the town is also waiting for any upcoming changes in the provincial act to reflect the legalization of cannabis, including what exactly is determined to be a private residence especially in regards to apartment buildings.
Morrison said he hopes to soon see municipalities work with the province to update the act and “fill in the gaps.”
“We’re trying to get everyone on the same playing field where smoke-free means smoke-free.”
