Relayed
by GLOBALink - The International Tobacco-Control Network
by PETER
McLAUGHLIN - The Daily News
Source: Halifax (NS) Daily News, 2002-06-01, via tobacco.org
Region: CANADA
Category: Smokefree Policies
URL: http://www.canada.com/halifax/news/story.asp?id=%7BEB5BAEB2-59FB-
47C5-9D4F-1C1EFD4E408%7D
Nova Scotia's
controversial new anti-smoking legislation is just a day old,
but already the province is looking at opening some loopholes
in a law that critics say will cripple some bars and restaurants.
A Health Department official said yesterday government will
strike a committee this summer to deal with exemptions and other
variances to the Smoke-Free Places Act, which becomes law Jan.
1.
Spokeswoman
Wendy Barnable said the committee, which will include input
from health representatives, will vet applications from businesses
arguing "rare and extenuating circumstances.''
"I
don't think exemptions are the idea; it's minor variances that
won't change the intent of the law,'' she said. "Applications
will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and I'm told it won't
be many.''
Officials
anticipate most of the committee's work will deal with minor
changes to the size of designated smoking areas caused by the
architectural limitations of a given building.
Terms of
reference for the committee have not been formalized and regulations
have yet to be drafted.
Earlier
this week, Premier John Hamm suggested to reporters that a cigar
bar might qualify for an exemption under the law, but Barnable
said that was just an example of a possible variance.
"They're
developing regulations now, and they're looking closely at it,''
Barnable said.
Tom Wile,
owner of Tom's Little Havana cafe, a Halifax cigar bar, said
he'll be applying for a variance, probably his last hope to
avoid losing his business.
"We
were in countdown mode to closing,'' he said. "But an exemption
would save us.''
The bar
would be hard-pressed to survive, given that it exists as a
retreat for cigar smokers. Severing a quarter of his tiny bar
to smokers would be pointless, he said.
Other restaurants
and bars were also trying to figure out what they would do now.
The Steak
and Stein Family Restaurants, with locations in Dartmouth and
Halifax, announced yesterday it will ban smoking entirely rather
than build separately ventilated rooms.
"We're
not going to sit on the fence. We're going to commit to 100
per cent smoke-free restaurants, and we'll see what happens
after that,'' said company vice-president John Scott.
"So
far, we've been pleasantly surprised.''
Jack Astors
owner Steve MacPherson said the restaurant has decided to spend
close to $30,000 to build smoking rooms.
"We
are definitely going to accommodate our customers,'' he said.
