A Summary of the Issue
Many people don't realize that BC now lags behind most other provinces and territories in the Country that have implemented 100% smoke-free legislation in all indoor public places and work places, with NO allowances for Designated Smoking Rooms (DSRs).
In BC today, smoking is banned in most workplaces under the Worksafe BC Regulations (formerly known as the Workers' Compensation Board Regulations or WCB Regulations), but the hospitality industry has been specifically exempted to allow smoking in DSRs.
Unfortunately, workers - primarily those in restaurants and bars - are permitted to work in these smoking rooms for up to 20% of their shift, despite the overwhelming evidence that even brief exposure to second-hand smoke can be dangerous.
The original WCB Regulation, while allowing DSRs to be built in public entertainment facilities, required that workers in this sector not be allowed to work in DSRs because of the known danger to worker health from any level of exposure to second-hand smoke.
Despite the scientific evidence however, when the Liberal Government came into power in 2001, under the direction of Premier Gordon Campbell, they overrode the existing WCB Regulations to allow hospitality workers to work in these DSRs.This decision was based on unfounded economic concerns expressed by the hospitality industry, and has resulted in a two-tier system in BC where workers in the hospitality sector receive less protection from second-hand smoke than all other workers in the province. To our knowledge, there is no other health and safety regulation that forces workers to choose whether to expose themselves to a known health hazard in the workplace.
See our Know the Facts section on this website for more information.
Why smoke-free legislation is so important
- The science proving that exposure to second-hand smoke is a serious cause of illness, disease, and death is undisputed by all except the tobacco industry.
- The public has the right to breathe clean air in indoor public places. Smoke-free workplaces and public places protect the public and employees from involuntary exposure to second-hand smoke.
- Individuals with serious respiratory problems and allergies deserve equal access to public places and places of employment.
- Children are particularly vulnerable to the health effects of second-hand smoke and therefore deserve special protection. They should not be exposed to tobacco smoke in any public place.
- All employees, regardless of their age, education, or income, deserve protection from second-hand smoke, including workers in restaurants and bars.
