Municipal Bylaws

Now that the government has announced province-wide smoke-free legislation in all indoor public places, with no allowances for Designated Smoking Rooms (DSRs) in restaurants and bars in 2008, BC will finally have consistent legislation that applies equally across the province to protect all workers and the public from hazards of second-hand smoke.

Currently, there is a patchwork of varying bylaws in BC that provide different levels of protection for residents depending on where they live. Since municipal and regional governments in BC have the authority to ban or restrict smoking in public places within their geographic limits, many of the smaller and rural municipalities in the North and Interior regions chose not to adopt smoke-free bylaws - relying instead on the WCB Regulations. In the Lower Mainland and the Capital Regional District (which includes 15 municipalities) however, most municipalities implemented public places bylaws that either met or exceeded the WCB Regulations. Inconsistencies in bylaws across BC include varying sizes of DSRs, limited activities within DSRs (e.g. drinking only), and smoking bans on outdoor patios.

While this inconsistent approach to protecting workers and the public from second-hand smoke will soon be resolved with the implementation of the provincial smoke-free legislation in 2008, there are a number of municipalities that should be recognized for taking a leadership role to protect their residents, by implementing strong smoke-free bylaws that exceeded the WCB Regulation and banning smoking in all public places, with NO Designated Smoking Rooms (DSRs) in public entertainment facilities, including restaurants and bars. These include the Capital Regional District, the District of North Vancouver, Richmond, White Rock and Belcarra.