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Quebec to crack down harder on smokers than Ontario CBC News \|\| May 31, 2006 Related - Anti-puffing spies to police Quebec smoking ban Laws that ban smoking in all enclosed public places kick in at midnight Tuesday in both Ontario and Quebec — but the change is expected to be much more dramatic in La Belle Province. The Quebec government has vowed to crack down immediately, with inspectors fanning out to check bars, restaurants, bingo halls, shopping centres, and other facilities — even tents and churches. Any business owner who allows illegal smoking will be fined $400 for a first violation of the new law. Ontario, on the other hand, plans to phase in its legislation gradually. Although the law is also tough — banning cigarettes even in enclosed smoking rooms or partially roofed patios — the province plans to initially hand out warnings instead of fines to violators. As well, people in many Ontario municipalities — including Ottawa and Toronto — have long faced bans on smoking in many public spaces. Quebecers, on the other hand, have rarely been forced to butt out. The provincial health minister, Philippe Couillard, recognizes the tremendous cultural shift that is about to take place in the province. But he said he is confident Quebec can handle the challenge. "If Ireland can ban cigarettes from their pubs, I'd be extremely surprised if Quebecers cannot do the same," he said. Quebec bar owners warn of financial disaster Many bar and restaurant owners in Quebec have fiercely opposed the crackdown, predicting the new law would bring financial disaster. Mike Briar, who owns a bar in Laval, said bar owners in other provinces have told him they lost up to 50 per cent of their business when smoking was banned in their jurisdictions. Briar said the government should pay attention to these cautionary tales from places that have already banned smoking in public places: Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com "Why don't we listen to people in other provinces?" said Briar, who opposes the ban. "Why should ours be any different?" He predicted that the Quebec ban would lead to job losses, lower video lottery terminal (VLT) revenues and slimmer profits for bars and restaurants. Smoking ban will help economy, Quebec says But the provincial health minister dismissed concerns that a smoking ban would damage the economy and put bars out of business. Couillard said the province hopes that banning tobacco use will drop the percentage of Quebecers who smoke to 20 per cent, from 23. The ban is sound fiscal policy, because any reduction will help the province reduce health-care costs, the health minister said. "If you want to adopt a purely economic analysis, we know a one-per-cent decrease in tobacco use saves roughly $115 million in the health-care sector," he said on Monday. He also dismissed the dire warnings that many bars and restaurants would fold because of the new ban. He recalled the banning of cigarettes from drugstores in Quebec. At the time, retailers warned it meant imminent bankruptcy, Couillard said — but the financial disasters never materialized. Government shouldn't criminalize smoking, Couillard says The smoking ban doesn't mean tobacco will one day become illegal, Couillard said. "It makes no sense for the state to outlaw cigarettes altogether, the way alcohol was once prohibited in the early 20th Century. You would just open the market for organized crime and smuggling," he said. "The right approach is to combine education and some restrictive actions by law." About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Weekly Features Archive
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Quebec to crack down harder on smokers than Ontario

CBC News || May 31, 2006

Related - Anti-puffing spies to police Quebec smoking ban

Laws that ban smoking in all enclosed public places kick in at midnight Tuesday in both Ontario and Quebec — but the change is expected to be much more dramatic in La Belle Province.

The Quebec government has vowed to crack down immediately, with inspectors fanning out to check bars, restaurants, bingo halls, shopping centres, and other facilities — even tents and churches.

Any business owner who allows illegal smoking will be fined $400 for a first violation of the new law.

Ontario, on the other hand, plans to phase in its legislation gradually. Although the law is also tough — banning cigarettes even in enclosed smoking rooms or partially roofed patios — the province plans to initially hand out warnings instead of fines to violators.

As well, people in many Ontario municipalities — including Ottawa and Toronto — have long faced bans on smoking in many public spaces.

Quebecers, on the other hand, have rarely been forced to butt out.

The provincial health minister, Philippe Couillard, recognizes the tremendous cultural shift that is about to take place in the province. But he said he is confident Quebec can handle the challenge.

"If Ireland can ban cigarettes from their pubs, I'd be extremely surprised if Quebecers cannot do the same," he said.

Quebec bar owners warn of financial disaster

Many bar and restaurant owners in Quebec have fiercely opposed the crackdown, predicting the new law would bring financial disaster.

Mike Briar, who owns a bar in Laval, said bar owners in other provinces have told him they lost up to 50 per cent of their business when smoking was banned in their jurisdictions.

Briar said the government should pay attention to these cautionary tales from places that have already banned smoking in public places: Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com

"Why don't we listen to people in other provinces?" said Briar, who opposes the ban. "Why should ours be any different?"

He predicted that the Quebec ban would lead to job losses, lower video lottery terminal (VLT) revenues and slimmer profits for bars and restaurants.

Smoking ban will help economy, Quebec says

But the provincial health minister dismissed concerns that a smoking ban would damage the economy and put bars out of business.

Couillard said the province hopes that banning tobacco use will drop the percentage of Quebecers who smoke to 20 per cent, from 23.

The ban is sound fiscal policy, because any reduction will help the province reduce health-care costs, the health minister said.

"If you want to adopt a purely economic analysis, we know a one-per-cent decrease in tobacco use saves roughly $115 million in the health-care sector," he said on Monday.

He also dismissed the dire warnings that many bars and restaurants would fold because of the new ban.

He recalled the banning of cigarettes from drugstores in Quebec. At the time, retailers warned it meant imminent bankruptcy, Couillard said — but the financial disasters never materialized.

Government shouldn't criminalize smoking, Couillard says

The smoking ban doesn't mean tobacco will one day become illegal, Couillard said.

"It makes no sense for the state to outlaw cigarettes altogether, the way alcohol was once prohibited in the early 20th Century. You would just open the market for organized crime and smuggling," he said.

"The right approach is to combine education and some restrictive actions by law."