Smoke-free bylaws urged by NWHU and card campaign

Ken Johnston
Editor

Of the five municipalities invited only three showed up to receive the results of a recent Northwestern Health Unit mail in campaign on the creation of smoke-free bylaws in this region.
Rainy River had one representative, as did Chapple and Morley had four. Lake of the Woods and Dawson Townships failed to show. Ironically Dawson had the highest rate of return on the postcards at 26% and Lake of the Woods had the lowest at 14%.
Jennifer McKibbon, Health Promoter with NWHU, presented each of the municipalities present with the cards returned from their communities. There were a total of 230 from the area with that being an average return rate of 19.4%, explained McKibbon. Chapple had 16%, Morley had 21.4% and Rainy River had 20%.
Citing response stats from Canada Post as evidence that the campaign showed an overwhelming amount of support for the creation of smoke-free bylaws, McKibbon said, “Canada Post says 8% (return) is considered to be a good response.”
Both Rainy River and Morley Councillors Gerry Marchuk and Gary Jolicouer raised the issue of passing a bylaw with no mechanism of enforcement.
McKibbon said, “If a law makes sense it won’t be an enforcement problem especially given what we already knew. This has large public support.” She also suggested that if laws were passed by councils it would not take long for people to comply, “Put a badge on the Mayor or whoever has the guts, lay some charges and a couple of $5,000 fines later people will comply.”
Morley Reeve Gary Gamsby said, “The debate on this issue is not as simple as people on the two extremes make it out to be.” Reeve Gamsby also said that this hot potato issue should have provincial and federal government involvement. Instead it is the local politicians that are now having to deal with it.
Heidi Ivall, a Health Educator with NWHU, pointed out that second hand smoke has over 20 known toxins in it, including arsenic and acetone (nail polish remover).
Chapple Councillor Rick Neilson said, “I am absolutely convinced that the majority of people are in favour of it (smoke-free bylaw). I will not go into a restaurant because is too smokey.”
Councillor Jolicouer, also proprietor of the Stratton Country Corner Café said that smoke does not bother him and that smoke-free bylaws could very well force the closure of businesses like his and bars in the area.
“Smoke does not bother me either but it poisons me and poisons you,” said McKibbon. She also noted that in communities where they have gone completely smoke-free that restaurants and bars have noted an increase in the sale of food and liquor.
Ivall noted that 75% of the population does not smoke, many of whom will not go into places of business that allow smoking. “That is a huge opportunity for the attraction of new customers,” she added.
McKibbon said that in most cases the backlash by smokers is only short lived for several weeks and then they tend to come back to the restaurants and bars. “Smokers are reasonable people and in other areas have learned to go out and socialize without smoking inside.”
More meetings are scheduled next week to present Fort Frances, Emo and Atikokan with the cards from those areas. McKibbon concluded that the campaign showed that the public wants councils to act and added that the Chief Medical officer for the region has said if they don’t he will.