With the start of National Non-Smoking Week, Chatham-Kent council heard a deputation to continue moving forward with making the community tobacco-free.
Gary Switzer, the CEO of the Erie-St. Clair LHIN and the co-chair of the Chatham-Kent Community Leaders’ Cabinet, said 22.3% of people in C-K smoke.
“Today we have more smokers than the provincial average,” Switzer said, referring to the 19.4% provincial mark.
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He said the cabinet wants to see Chatham-Kent ban tobacco use at sporting fields, municipal parks, recreation centres and beaches.
“They have to run through a gauntlet of smoke to get to the fields,” he said.
Switzer said C-K was leading the way back in the early-2000s with the start of banning tobacco in public.
“You were leaders; everyone caught up to you,” he said.
West Kent Coun. Brian King entered a successful motion to have staff make recommendations to implement the ideas proposed by the cabinet.
Chatham-Kent Mayor Randy Hope, the other co-chair for the community leaders cabinet, said he expects staff and council to move this concept forward quickly.
“The whole smoking and non-smoking thing … I still battle it,” he said. “It should not take this council that long to implement this. Don’t worry about the enforcement … if parents see you smoking near their children, they will let you know.”
The cabinet is encouraging people to make the tobacco-free pledge.
Log onto mytobaccofreepledge.ca for more details.
I'm a non-smoker and it is my opinion that all of this non-smoking stuff is ridiculous. This is supposed to be a free country, but everyone seems to want to force their "wants" upon other people. Smokers I've met, and know, do not try to make me light up a cigarette, and if I don't want to be around their smoke, I won't be. Why are non-smokers trying to force smokers to not smoke?
Non-smokers have already made it illegal to smoke in public buildings, and with-in so many feet of an entrance to a public building. I think that's fair. Now trying to make them not able to smoke pretty much in public is taking things a bit too far. A friend of mine who smokes once said to me: "why are non-smokers trying to force me to breath their clean air". I thought about that a fair amount. It does make sense. Why should we as non-smokers make it impossible for smokers to enjoy their cigarette or cigar when they are sitting on the bench at the park, watching their children play?
We as non-smokers "choose" to not smoke, and pollute out lungs and destroy our health. That is our choice. Smokers on the other hand "choose" to smoke and pollute their lungs, and destroy their health. That is their choice. Why force people to not be able to smoke in public places as stated in the article? They are "public' places aren't they? Should all of the public, smoker and non-smokers alike be able to use theses places and choose to smoke or not smoke while there? I think so.
All a non-smoker has to do if smoke is bothering them, or their children, is to confront the smoker in a civil manner. A 10 metre smoke free perimeter from any playground equipment sounds just fine to me. These are "public" spaces after all.
If all smokers were courteous and refrained from smoking in a crowded outdoor area, like at the Santa Claus parade or concerts in Tecumseh Park, or anyplace a crowd is gathered I would agree with you. Smokers I know personally go out of their way to make sure they are not around people when they light up but others will simply ignore your request or will swear at you. That is when I would be happy with a bylaw that stopped smoking in areas where people gather or set up a separate area. I don't think it's ridiculous at all. People with asthma, COPD or other breathing issues should feel they can attend a public event outdoors without needing an inhaler or oxygen. Some people smoke in bus shelters, right outside the hospital doors, in a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd and many places common sense tells them they shouldn't, but they do anyway and get angry if you ask them to move or butt out.
I don't agree with parts of you statement. My question is: why do smokers have to be courteous, but non-smokers don't have to be? Parades and concerts in the park are public, and the air you are breathing is public. People should be able to choose what they inhale while in public. If a smoker does not respect your request to move, or butt out when you ask them, you should just go somewhere else. Big deal, so a smoker doesn't want to breath the clean air you are. It's not the end of the world. I have asthma, and smoke doesn't really aggravate it. If someone has a respiratory problem that is so bad, that they can't smell a bit of cigarette smoke, they probably shouldn't be out on a hot day, or in the dead of winter. They also shouldn't attend events such as Rib Fest (all of the smoke associated with that). Remember, separate smoking areas were tried, and non-smokers weren't happy because they could smell smoke. They only reason that this whole smoke free thing is happening is due to the fact that smokers are the majority. Here is food for thought: what about the people who have to be on oxygen? Why not make a law for people like that to stay away from smokers? Sounds ridiculous doesn't it? I try to be nice to smokers, as they can't smoke hardly anywhere anymore. If a smoker becomes dick-ish to me, I let it be. I take the high road, and move elsewhere as I'm the bigger person. Non-smokers are just as big of dicks as smokers. I sounds like you, Mary Beth are on that same level (bu I surely hope not). Also, I'm not one for conspiracy junk, and police state junk, but we are headed for that, if we keep making laws without thinking of everybody, not just those people who want the law to pass.