Relayed
by GLOBALink - The International Tobacco-Control Network
By BRIAN
FLINN / The Daily News Source: Halifax (NS) Daily News, 2002-04-25,
via tobacco.org Region:CANADA
Category: Teen Smoking/Youth Issues
The provincial
government won't totally ban smoking in public places, and if
you can't drink in Nova Scotia, you won't be able to smoke either.
Health Minister
Jamie Muir is set to introduce anti-smoking legislation today
that will make possession of tobacco illegal for anyone younger
than 19, putting smoking on a similar legal footing as alcohol,
government sources say.
However,
the internal debate over the new law continued into yesterday
evening when caucus held a final meeting on a smoking ban. Some
MLAs were pushing for a total ban on smoking in public places,
but that's not included in the legislation, the sources said.
Muir wouldn't
talk about the new law, but promised it will be tough.
"The
legislation will be the strongest in the country," he said.
The current
law makes it illegal for anyone younger than 19 to buy cigarettes.
But it's not illegal for them to smoke. Steve Machat of the
Canadian Cancer Society said Newfoundland bans smoking for those
under 19.
Up to municipalities
The new
law will disappoint anti-smoking advocates because it fails
to ban smoking in bars and restaurants, sources said. The government
will leave it up to municipalities to decide if it's OK to light
up over dinner or a drink.
The province
will require smoking areas to be sealed off from other parts
of licensed establishments.
Machat said
the cancer society lobbied the government to ban smoking in
all indoor public places and workplaces.
He said
the Tories will be able to argue they have the strongest anti-tobacco
legislation of any province even without such a ban, but the
law won't look so strict when it's stacked up against municipalities.
"The
leaders, the true leaders in Canada, have been the municipalities,"
he said.
Halifax
Regional Municipality restricted smoking in bars and restaurants
in 1999, but stopped short of a complete ban.
Machat said
Wolfville, Kentville, Berwick and New Glasgow have moved to
100 per cent bans.
He said
other municipalities have waited to see if the province will
take the lead. He hopes the new legislation will at least make
it easy for towns and cities to ban public smoking.
Muir said
a smoking ban isn't everything. He said the government has also
tried to reduce smoking through cigarette price hikes and education.
"We've
been working on this legislation for a year," Muir said.
"It's one part of our tobacco strategy, and, unfortunately,
people are just focusing on that at this particular time."
Janet Kimber
- The Daily News
