Health Unit wants smoking banned in all parks

 

 

 

Windsor parks may soon be on the list of places where you can’t smoke.

 

A revision is in the works to be put before city council to ban smoking in public parks. During the city council meeting on Jan. 11, Ward 9 Councillor Hilary Payne announced the Windsor Essex County Health Unit would be proposing the ban of smoking in the coming months. The rate of smokers has steadily decreased in the province since the Smoke Free Ontario Act was enacted in 2006. This drop reflects the population of Windsor as well.

“There’s only between 17 and 20 per cent of people smoking now,” said Payne, also a board member of WECHU. “ So I think in fairness to the other 80 plus percentage of people who don’t smoke, this ban should be put in place.”

These efforts began in 2014. The Windsor Essex County Board of Health passed a resolution by speaking to provincial municipalities. This regarded expanding bylaws on outdoor tobacco use in cities, province wide according to WECHU. This included bans on smoking in parks, playgrounds, recreation centre and others. They also said outdoor space by-laws have already been placed on six municipalities in the Essex County area, WECHU confirming this movement is nothing new.

“As of January 1st of 2015, the province of Ontario expanded the Smoke Free Ontario act, banning the smoking of tobacco at playgrounds and sports fields, as well as within 20 meters of these areas,” said Kristy McBeth, director of knowledge management at WECHU. “What’s happened is the province hasn’t gone far enough to enforce these by-laws, as there is confusion as to the distance needed being from these areas.”

  “The bylaw being proposed for Windsor is to cover the smoking law over parks that don’t include playgrounds,” said McBeth. “The goal of this is to have a more smoke-free environment for those who don’t smoke as well as make Windsor more environment friendly. “

On the other side of the matter, not all smokers entirely objected to this ban on where they can light up. One Windsorite has been smoking for three years and has a case of asthma. She said she understands the issue people have with smoking in public areas.

“You don’t want to have someone smoking at the park where your kids are playing, I can completely understand that,” said Jill Mepsted, a smoker. “It’s a person’s choice what goes into their bodies and plus people with asthma can be endangered by it as well.”

Mepsted gets irritated with people who smoke at bus stops as well and has noticed there is a fine line when it’s appropriate to smoke and when it is inconsiderate to others. Smoking is a choice.

The proposal for Windsor city council to further expand smoking enforcement has no confirmed date, but Payne and McBeth are hoping it goes through in the coming months.

 

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