Smoking bylaw takes effect

photo by Mico Mazza

GONE ARE THE days when people could have a beer and a cigarette on a patio or light a smoke under the stars in a park. As of April 2, Ottawans cannot smoke on patios or in parks as a part of the city’s new anti-smoking bylaw.

Although tickets won’t be handed out until July 2, officers will be issuing warnings to patrons breaking the law. Bar owners and city staff will be instructed to put up signage and tell smokers about the bylaw.

“We expect a very high rate of compliance by the public,” said Linda Anderson, city bylaw enforcement manager. “But what we will be doing is collecting information on what we call hotspots, where there’s ongoing non-compliance, and we’ll be making sure we have someone on-site with those locations.”

Deidre Campbell, server at La Maison in Sandy Hill, said she doesn’t expect customers to stop smoking right away, but as people get used to the law, they might be more willing to butt out.

“Maybe at first [people won’t comply], especially once they’d have a few drinks because they get a little more brave,” said Campbell. “But I think that it will be like every other bylaw that people were in disagreement with at the beginning.”

Quinn Sawden, a second-year biopharmaceuticals student at the U of O, quit smoking six months ago. He thinks the new bylaws shouldn’t be implemented.

“I understand where the city is coming from, but there has to be a line drawn somewhere or else—pretty soon—smoking is just going to be illegal,” he said.

Anderson said roadways and sidewalks, university campuses, and private properties won’t be affected by the bylaw as they don’t fall under the municipal act, meaning the only place on campus where students can’t smoke is a patio.

According to Anderson, the city is relying on Ottawans to ask smokers to stop, as that’s what happened when smoking was prohibited in bars. No new bylaw staff will be hired to enforce the new rule.

“We’re already got a very high compliance rate with other smoking restrictions in effect,” said Anderson. “We have such a low percentage of the population who smokes, we anticipate the public themselves will be reminding other people they can’t smoke.”

Even if  bylaw officer was unable to see someone smoking in a restricted zone, Anderson said that individual will be fined provided there’s sufficient evidence, such as eyewitnesses.

Although the fine for breaking the bylaw is yet to be approved by the province, the city is proposing $255, the same as other smoking offences.

—Jane Lytvynenko