(Cigarette butts image via Shutterstock)
Two organizations have come out in support of banning smoking on all outdoor restaurant and bar patios in Winnipeg.
The Canadian Cancer Society and Manitoba Tobacco Reduction Alliance (MANTRA) will appear before the city’s standing policy committee on protection, community services and parks today in support of a ban.
Winnipeg is the last major city in the country without such a smoking ban on outdoor patios.
“The time for study and consultation is over,” said Erin Crawford, the Canadian Cancer Society’s senior director of public issues and community engagement.
“Winnipeg is being left behind. The science is clear and hundreds of communities throughout Canada that have already implemented this sort of ban.”
The two groups will also urge the city to extend smoke-free zones to include city parks, sports fields, skate parks as well as public festivals and events.
Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Yukon all have legislation in place banning smoking in outdoor seating areas.
— Staff
