From parks to sidewalks, smoking and vaping will soon be outlawed in public areas of Banff
Story by Olivia Condon •
Residents and visitors to Banff will have to butt out in the new year after a bylaw takes effect prohibiting smoking and vaping in the vast majority of the town’s outdoor spaces.
Banff will soon be a smoke-free zone.© Provided by Calgary Herald
Beginning Feb. 1, 2023, smoking and vaping tobacco and nicotine products will be illegal throughout Banff in parks and green spaces, on trails and pathways, at outdoor markets and outdoor events, at bus stops, on all public sidewalks and pedestrian zones, and in proximity of a child under the age of 10 not in one’s custody, care or control.
The few exceptions are for the ceremonial use of tobacco related to a traditional Indigenous practice or in surface parking lots and alleys, as well as on private property. In those cases, existing municipal and provincial legislation — that smoking and vaping must not occur within five metres of sidewalks, trails, doorways, windows or air intakes — still apply.
Those in violation of the bylaw could face between $250 and $500 in fines.
Council passed second and third reading of the bylaw at its Monday meeting, with Mayor Corrie DiManno, councillors Chip Olver, Grant Canning, Barb Pelham and Ted Christensen in favour. Coun. Hugh Pettigrew was opposed.
Also approved was a $2,400 budget for communication and signage to be installed ahead of the bylaw taking effect.
The bylaw, which was first introduced in September but has been discussed in council chambers since as early as 2018, is in line with the town’s bylaw on cannabis use, which was passed ahead of federal legalization in October 2018.
Present at Monday’s meeting was Les Hagen, executive director of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). Hagen commended council for its efforts and said passing the bylaw will have a lasting and wide-ranging effect.
“Your actions today will go far beyond this community,” he said. “Banff welcomes over four million visitors each year and it is the most popular national park in Canada. By approving this bylaw you will be reinforcing that non-smoking norm among millions of visitors, including multitudes of children and youth. You’ll be sending a message that public health and recreation go hand in hand to many, many people.”
Hagen said being good role models for children and youth and preventing wildfires are particularly important issues to consider when it comes to such legislation.
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“The social model of smoking and vaping can have a profound impact on children and youth . . .
The more smoking cues a child receives the more likely they are to become smokers themselves,” he said.
“Smoking in parks is a significant public health concern, however, cigarette butts are the single most littered item on the planet. Careless smoking is responsible for 10 to 15 per cent of all wildfires in Canada.”
DiManno said that by taking the “gold standard approach,” the town of Banff will be leading the way in promoting healthier lifestyles.
“It’s also about setting the tone that when you’re in Banff, we are a community and we value our clean mountain air and we’re respectful of public places and our environment,” she said.
“I believe this will help contribute to the reduction in exposure to second-hand smoke, reduction in litter, and reduces the risk in starting a wildfire . . . This is likely the future, and Banff likes to be ahead of the curve,” she said.
“It’s going to come with some polarization and opposition, but at the end of the day this is about trying to be leaders in this area.”
A dozen other municipalities across Alberta have taken similar steps to reduce the number of places where smoking and vaping nicotine and tobacco are permitted, including Claresholm, Okotoks, Strathmore and High River.
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“Smoking in parks is a significant public health concern, however, cigarette butts are the single most littered item on the planet. Careless smoking is responsible for 10 to 15 per cent of all wildfires in Canada.”
DiManno said that by taking the “gold standard approach,” the town of Banff will be leading the way in promoting healthier lifestyles.
“It’s also about setting the tone that when you’re in Banff, we are a community and we value our clean mountain air and we’re respectful of public places and our environment,” she said.
“I believe this will help contribute to the reduction in exposure to second-hand smoke, reduction in litter, and reduces the risk in starting a wildfire . . . This is likely the future, and Banff likes to be ahead of the curve,” she said.
“It’s going to come with some polarization and opposition, but at the end of the day this is about trying to be leaders in this area.”
A dozen other municipalities across Alberta have taken similar steps to reduce the number of places where smoking and vaping nicotine and tobacco are permitted, including Claresholm, Okotoks, Strathmore and High River.
LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for SMOKING
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