An informal survey of bar and restaurant patio owners in Gibsons found that a smoking ban “was not a divisive issue,” a Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) official told council’s committee of the whole on June 10.
VCH tobacco reduction coordinator Caitlin Etherington said she surveyed 16 patios where it currently would be legal to smoke. Of those, she said, “11 are already smoke free, two allow limited or occasional smoking, but both of those said they would welcome a bylaw because it would provide clarity and a more concrete justification for providing a smoke-free place for their clientele. Three technically allow smoking, but only one has a concern about their bottom line.”
VCH is asking local governments to pass a “leading-edge bylaw” that would ban smoking 7.5 metres from doors, on all patios, in parks, on beaches and trails, transit stops and public places where people gather.
