Smoking Policy Hits Turbulence

A staff report recommending a policy to eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke in open public spaces in Southgate has run into some resistance. According to the proposed policy no one could smoke cigarettes fashionable within 30 metres of any sports field or play area and within a 15 metres radius of the entrance to any municipal building. For Coun. Dale Pallister it's just more regulations that are virtually unenforceable. "You get so many rules that they reach the place of how do you enforce them all . . . when you need a bylaw enforcement officer to say that you're not to stand 100 feet away from the arena door, or whatever distance it was they came up with, it just seems to me that life doesn't have to be that complicated," he said during Wednesday's committee of the whole meeting. He recommended that with proper signage and moving the butt can around the corner, away from building entrances, good sense for the most part will prevail. "If people want to smoke I don't have any problem with that, but they should respect other people. But as far as making a whole bunch of rules I don't see how we can enforce them," said Pallister. Pallister also criticized some of the proposals as being a bit silly. For example the front steps of the Dundalk Town Hall are right on the sidewalk of town's main street, right across the street from the smoke shop, well within the no smoking area. Coun. Pat Franks agreed that good signs and encouraging smokers to stay clear of entrances to public buildings should be enough for sensible people. Chief administrative officer Dave Milliner said he expected the proposed policy to encounter some turbulence from council. He favours establishing a policy rather than a bylaw, which would focus on public education rather than enforcement. Milliner said the proposal will go back to the recreation committee for further refinement. He also wants to see how other municipalities in the area are handling the issue. "I'll be talking to the (Grey) county CAO and those of other municipalities to see what they are doing," said Milliner. The discussion at municipal councils follows the adoption of a resolution by the Grey Bruce Health Unit's board in August calling for smoking to be banned at public outdoor places such as parks, beaches, playgrounds and patios where food is sold.