Municipal Bylaws
THE ISSUES
Click here to view information on why municipalities should not rescind their smoke-free bylaws once the Smoke-Free Ontario Act is implemented.
Changes to the Tobacco Control Act and the Ontario Municipal Act gave the municipalities the power to draft, pass and enforce smoke-free workplace and/or public place bylaws. The response has been varied with a relatively small number of municipalities have ambitious smoking bylaw campaigns, resulting in passage of 100% smoke-free workplaces and/or public place bylaws. Most municipalities have adopted weaker bylaws, which may include designated smoking room (DSRs are separately-ventilated, separately-enclosed spaces) allowances for bars and restaurants, or allow access to a significant percentage of floor space for unenclosed smoking, or have opted to only require municipal buildings to be smoke-free. Other Ontario municipalities have not acted because they do not have the resources. However, the large majority of municipalities have a common belief that the reg
ulation of second-hand smoke is fundamentally a provincial responsibility, requiring provincial action and resources.
The Go for Gold map of the Ontario Tobacco Network lists municipalities that are currently developing or have passed 100% smoke-free bylaws. This a good source for those interested in getting a quick overview of which communities regulate smoking in their bars, restaurants and other recreational premises, with or without DSR requirements. In this section, we also provide a detailed municipal bylaw comparison chart which will allow you to get a more precise picture of the number of municipalities in Ontario that have some form of smoking bylaw, ranging from very weak smoking bylaws to outright bans in all public places and workplaces.
Bylaw-SFOA Comparison Chart is now available in pdf version. This chart provides a comprehensive comparison of municipal bylaws to the new Smoke-Free Ontario Act.
For a more detailed discussion on the issues encountered by municipalities in their smoking bylaw campaigns and implementation process, please click on the below issues:
Please select the following for additional information on smoke-free bylaw campaigns:
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