April 5, 2000

Vancouver Goes Smoke-Free in All Indoor Public Places

Vancouver City Council passed by-law amendments Tuesday that make all indoor public places in the city 100 per cent smoke-free.

The intent of the amendments is to better protect workers and the general public from the hazards of second-hand smoke.

Previously, by-law provisions allowed establishments where minors are not allowed, such as bars, pubs, night clubs, bingo halls and casinos, to make only 30 per cent of their space smoke-free. Restaurants and other public places were required to be 100 per cent smoke-free.

When the smoke-free by-law was originally put in place in 1996, Council planned for all indoor public places to become 100 per cent smoke-free by January 2000.

The introduction of the Workers Compensation Board regulations in January made the need to amend the City’s by-laws less critical, since the WCB regulation effectively enforced a 100 per cent smoke-free environment in all the establishments.When the B.C. Supreme Court rendered the WCB smoking ban in bars and similar establishments null and void in March, the City chose to act quickly to amend its by-law to continue to provide protection from second-hand smoke in public places.

All bars, pubs, night clubs, bingo halls, casinos and other such establishments will still be able to provide smoking rooms for their patrons. Council will make a decision at a later date on the allowable size of smoking rooms. Currently, smoking rooms are limited to five square metres. A proposed by-law amendment would allow smoking rooms measuring up to 10 per cent of the floor area.

Media enquiries:

Domenic Losito
Environmental Health
736-2866

 

[News Release Index]

Comments or questions? You can send us e-mail.

(c) 2000 City of Vancouver