North Bay to ban smoking in all public places, including designated smoking areas

City council took a big step towards making North Bay, Ont. a smoke-free city Tuesday night.

Council voted to direct staff to draft a bylaw that would ban the smoking or vaping of any substance from all public places and all city property.

This would include making all designated smoking areas illegal. 

"Designated smoking areas do not work," said Marcus Tignanelli, the city councillor who tabled the motion. 

"It just makes it more convenient for smokers and does not do anything to target the de-normalization of smoking"

Any time any city council discusses a new bylaw, there is always a question about how well the rules will be enforced with such small compliment of bylaw officers patrolling the entire city.

Tignanelli says that he hopes this "cut and dry" bylaw would be easier to enforce than more specific smoking regulations that prohibit lighting up within so many metres of a doorway. 

"I would look to see unanimous support for the healthy active community that we in North Bay are always portraying and I think it's time to put our money where our mouth is," he told council.

Tighter smoking rules follow cannabis legalization

But it was not a unanimous vote.

North Bay city councillor Tanya Vrebosch said she is in favour of regulating smoking, but wanted more consultations on the plan to ban designated smoking areas, which was added to the motion during Tuesday night's council meeting. 

"To just impose this on businesses is not something I'd be ok with," she said. 

Several northern municipalities have adjusted their smoking regulations since cannabis became legal in October.

Greater Sudbury simply applied the existing smoking rules to pot, while Sault Ste. Marie extended its smoking ban to include city parks.

Earlier this year, West Nipissing banned the smoking of cannabis in any public place, including sidewalks, but did not put the same restrictions on tobacco.