Board of health to consider extending smoking ban to more outdoor areas

The Toronto board of health is set to consider a recommendation to tighten the city’s smoking by-law by restricting people from lighting up in more outdoor areas, including on all restaurant and bar patios, on and around sports fields, on hospital grounds and in building entrances.

Toronto Medical Officer of Health Dr. David McKeown’s proposal to beef up the smoking rules will be up for debate at the next health board meeting on Oct. 22.

“In contrast to several other Ontario municipalities, there are currently no by-laws in Toronto that restrict smoking near the entranceways of municipally owned and leased buildings, on uncovered bar and restaurant patios, on or near City-operated sports fields or on hospital grounds,” McKeown’s report states. “However, there is strong public interest and scientific evidence supporting such prohibitions.”

Under the Smoke Free Ontario Act (SFOA) passed by the provincial government in 2006, smoking is banned on covered patios. McKeown wants to ban smoking on all patios where food and drinks are served. He wants to consult with various stakeholders, including municipal licensing and standards, parks and recreation staff, business owners and residents before reporting back to the board in 2013.

“Research indicates that levels of outdoor tobacco smoke exposure can be substantial when people are near active smokers and may even approach levels from smoking indoors,” McKeown’s report states.

Smoking is already banned on all school grounds and sports fields, and also near public playgrounds, wading pools and splash pads. McKeown wants a ban in more outdoor recreation areas, particularly on city-run sports fields and in spectator areas. Thirty-one other municipalities, including Barrie, Hamilton and Vaughan, have similar rules, he said.

The SFOA also prohibits smoking within nine metres of hospital entrances, and McKeown wants an all-out ban on hospital grounds.

And the provincial legislation bans smoking in building entrances of schools, daycares and health care facilities. McKeown said more public and private buildings should be included. Many places, including malls and office towers, already post signs asking smokers to stand several metres away from an entrance.

There’s already strong support for increasing non-smoking areas, McKeown’s report states. A 2011 Toronto Public Health telephone survey showed 86 per cent of Torontonians support a smoke-free doorways by-law; 74 per cent support a smoking ban on all patios; and 83 per cent support a smoking ban around outdoor public sports fields and spectator areas.

Toronto’s smoking by-law:

1999: Council approves by-law to ban smoking in all public places and work places. The rule was rolled out in three phases in 1999, 2001 and 2004.

2009: Council approves by-law amendment to ban smoking within nine metres of playgrounds, wading pools and splash pads.

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