City considers smoking ban
Administration looks at options for city properties, including parks
Jessica Davey-Quantick
Northern News Services
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Smoke 'em if you got 'em because soon, smokers might have to butt out on all city property.
City council directed administration to explore options from other municipalities to ban smoking at all city property, which could potentially include all city buildings and parks. - NNSL file photo |
At a special municipal services committee meeting on Monday, Coun. Julian Morse started a discussion around expanding the radius prohibiting smoking outside city sports facilities, after the issue was brought to his attention by facility users.
Discussion then turned to whether people should be lighting up on city property at all. That could potentially include all city property, including parks.
Senior administrative officer Sheila Bassi-Kellett expressed support for the way the conversation was going.
"Whether or not it's expanding the bylaw to expand the space away from doors or dare - I put my own personal view on things, - ban all smoking on all city property - oh did I say that?" she quipped.
Currently, the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission mandates smoking be kept three metres away from all designated doors. Many city facilities have placed cigarette butt receptacles even further away - the YK community arena and the Fieldhouse have butt receptacles more than seven metres from the entrance, while the Curling Club set up receptacles nearly 5.5 metres from the door. The Multiplex tops the list, with receptacles placed almost 14 metres away.
Since 2004, smoking has been banned in the territory's indoor public spaces and workplaces.
Outdoors, municipalities have taken steps over the years to snuff out smoke. Kingston, Ont. and Edmonton banned smoking on outdoor patios in 2003, with Saskatoon following in 2004. Municipalities across the country have more recently begun banning smoking in outdoor children's playgrounds, parks, beaches and other municipal property.
Councillors quickly jumped on the bandwagon, with Niels Konge, Shauna Morgan and Linda Bussey all chiming in with support.
"I think banning smoking in city facilities in the long run would be something that we should look at," said Bussey.
Konge wants to start with pushing smokers farther away from the entrances of sports facilities and go from there.
"I think that might be a good middle road to take. But I certainly would support banning smoking on all city property as well," said Konge.
He added that thanks to concrete planters in front of the Multiplex that allow smokers to linger, the facility is "probably where we have the biggest problem."
"More times than not going into that facility you've kind of got to hold your breath about 30 feet out until you get right into the building," he said. "Unless we start policing it, I don't think it's going to change."
For Morgan, enforcement was the sticking point.
"I would definitely support expanding the radius," she said. "And I would potentially support banning smoking on city property. I think the crux of the issue though is what would be our plan to enforce it." Morgan expressed concern about possible confrontations between city staff and smokers, for example.
Morgan said she wants a "solid plan" about enforcement moving forward.
Even moving the receptacles to create a larger radius around doors, Bassi-Kellet said, could create trash issues.
"If it's too far away then people won't bother, they'll just step out the door, have their smoke and then drop it on the ground," she said.
Morse suggested a phased-in approach, referencing how
Stanton Territorial Hospital first pushed smokers
further away from the facility before banning the butt entirely.
"I would advocate kind of a middle road here that we consider expanding the radius," he said. "I think that does make sense, I think we can do it in a practical way."
He made a motion directing city administration to investigate what other municipalities across the country - as well as institutions such as the hospital and the North Slave Correctional Complex - did to ban smoking on their properties.
Bassi-Kellett said administration will present a range of options for consideration.
"I really appreciate Councillor Morse's concern about not making this too big a deal, but this is a great opportunity to take a stand," she said.
Fernanda Martins, public policy analyst for the Canadian Cancer Society, said the society applauds the city for exploring smoking prohibition on all municipal properties.
"Yellowknife would be joining the other jurisdictions in Canada that have already implemented policies to protect their citizens from the harm posed by second hand smoke," she said.
