Yellowknife (Sep 03/03) - With less than a month before the city's total public smoking ban is put into effect, the Workers' Compensation Board is moving ahead with its smoking crackdown.

Dave Grundy, manager of communications at WCB, said the board will meet from Sept. 8-12 and review draft rules banning smoking in the workplace.

"WCB isn't in the business to stop people from smoking," said Grundy. "Our legislation only deals with workers. It will go into the safety act, and will take affect in Nunavut as well since it is a shared board."

While the expanded city smoking bylaw will come into effect Oct. 1 in Yellowknife, regulations concerning smoking in the workplace are still in the process of being drafted by the WCB.

Because the smoking bylaw distinctly targets all public facilities, most workplaces are already expected to butt out. The WCB rules will extend to all workplaces, including construction sites.

Once the board approves the legislation, it will be forwarded to Joe Handley, minister responsible for the WCB, and his Nunavut counterpart.

It's not known when the WCB rules will come into effect.