Smoking in Outdoor Shared Spaces
As I wrote here, I recently asked City Administration to compile a report on what other Canadian cities are doing to regulate smoking in outdoor areas. I have brought this issue to the attention of the public and my fellow Councillors because I share the concerns constituents have raised to me about children's exposure to second-hand smoke in outdoor recreation areas like playgrounds and sports fields. These spaces promote healthy activity, and children -- as well as adults -- have the right to enjoy them without suffering the harms of cigarette smoke and litter. Medical evidence affirms that children's developing lungs are particularly harmed by the effects of cigarettes.
Above all, then, this is a health and safety issue. Provincial legislation invites municipalities to pass their own bylaws to ensure residents' welfare. We have many such regulations in place already -- regulations around behaviour (noise, littering, and so on) in shared outdoor spaces. And, of course, we prohibit smoking indoors, in spaces like public vehicles, restaurants, workplaces. In fact, we also already regulate smoking in some outdoor shared spaces, specifically, on patios, within 5 metres of building doorways and windows, and around bus and LRT stops. We have these regulations in recognition of the negative effects of tobacco, and people's right not to be affected in this way by others' behavior.
Well over 60 municipalities in Canada already regulate outdoor smoking in playgrounds, parks, recreation fields or similar areas. These municipalities include Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Hamilton. Cities adopt a variety of approaches, with some banning smoking in playgrounds or recreation fields only, and others restricting it on all outdoor municipal property. Data from Statistics Canada suggest that smoking bans in other municipalities have led some smokers to reduce or stop smoking. We also know that most smokers begin before age 18, and reducing young people's exposure to smoking is likely to reduce their uptake of tobacco. Positive modeling is a key aspect of regulating smoking, then.
In addition to smoke itself, the litter from cigarettes is a major issue in our city. Last year's litter audit found that 46.9% of all small litter consisted of cigarette butts. These butts, made of chemicals that persist for years in ecosystems, litter the sandboxes and fields on which children play.
On June 13, Council's Community Services Committee took a step forward by asking Administration to begin consultation with stakeholders in Edmonton to discover whether they support more regulation of outdoor smoking, and, if so, exactly what this regulation should look like. I am eager to see the results of this public consultation. There is evidence to suggest that a majority of Edmontonians may support this initiative: the Alberta Policy Coalition for Smoking Prevention's 2010 survey found that 69% of Albertans support a ban on smoking in all public outdoor spaces. Within a few months, Administration will update Council on what they have discovered. At that point, we will continue our discussion.
In the meantime, let me know your thoughts on this issue.
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