Is a totally smoke-free Clearview township feasible? Perhaps not, but local government has a vital role to play in reshaping social norms to reduce death and disease, according to Cindy Baker-Barill, manager of the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit’s (SMDHU) Smoke Free Program.
In a presentation to Clearview council on Dec. 9, Baker-Barill described a growing problem with the use of tobacco and vaping products among youth. Provincial statistics show a 75 per cent increase in vaping among youth 16-19 from 2017 to 2018. While the most recent Simcoe County data available is from 2015, it points to an even bigger problem here. That 2015 survey found 23 per cent of Simcoe County youth were vaping compared to the provincial average of 15 per cent.
The current Clearview Township bylaw, passed in 2013, bans smoking in township buildings and within nine metres of entrances, and creates a 20 metre smoke free zone around playgrounds and recreation facilities. Baker-Barill encouraged council to follow the lead of other municipalities that are expanding smoking bylaws to cover all municipal properties, and include all tobacco products, cannabis and e-cigarettes.
Councillor John Lamers said he supports the concept, but has concerns about the cost of enforcement. Township Clerk Pamela Fettes said Clearview currently has one and a half full time bylaw enforcement officers. If the bylaw were extended to cover additional municipal properties such as walking trails, existing resources would be inadequate.
The SMDHU is currently responsible for enforcement around hospitals, parks etc., through the Smoke Free Ontario Act. While it is not the goal of the health unit to take on additional enforcement responsibilities for municipal properties, Baker-Barill pointed out that Canadians are basically law-abiding people, and if they are aware of the rules, compliance is generally good. She suggested the biggest cost involved in bylaw enforcement is effective signage.
Fettes asked to be connected with other municipalities to discuss their experience with enforcing expanded smoke-free bylaws, and will report back to council.