Health unit vows to ram smoking bylaw down public's throats

Ken Johnston
Editor

About 50 people attended a meeting at the Rainy River Legion to air their opinions about a potential anti-smoking bylaw in Rainy River last Wednesday.
Rainy River Mayor Gordon Prost and Northwestern Health Unit representative Jennifer McKibbon fielded a barrage of comments and questions from the crowd which was mostly smokers.
McKibbon opened the evening meeting with a short presentation which outlined the health risks to workers exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke. She noted that Chief Medical Officer for the region, Dr. Pete Sarsfield declared secondhand smoke a health hazard and made it a priority for the NWHU to deal with this year. Earlier this year he gave municipal councils until May 31st to pass smoke-free bylaws in their respective communities. To date only Ear Falls (near Red Lake) has done so.
“We have waited too long to deal with involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke,” said McKibbon.
Most of those present voiced their opposition to the passing of a smoke-free bylaw for Rainy River. Citizen Terry Murray was very vocal in his opposition saying, “If you pass that here in this legion we might as well hand you the keys.”
McKibbon cited data from other jurisdictions where smoke-free bylaws have been enacted noting that in most cases businesses do not fold up because of the bylaw. In fact she said there is often an increase in new customers who would not frequent a business because of the smoke.
Legion executive member Joe Kaliska said that they are looking at putting in an air exchanger for the club so that the air is cleaner. He noted that if the smokers are prohibited from having a cigarette in the legion he feels it could have adverse effects on other groups in the community. “If you close this place you will shut down the revenues that benefit groups like the recreation centre, youth sports and the hospital.”
“There is no ventilation system that can remove all carcinogens (cancer causing agents),” said McKibbon.
Murray inquired about the carcinogens in emissions from cars and industry.
McKibbon said that there are carcinogens in those pollutants but it is harder for the health unit to do something about.
“So you are picking on people who you can get,” replied Murray. “If people don’t like smoke then don’t come (to the Legion). We don’t have a choice,”
McKibbon said that the NWHU is not preventing people from smoking where they want only from smoking where it will harm workers.
Roger Arnould of Rainy River asked, “If council doesn’t go along with it will the health unit ram it down our throats?”
“Yes,” said McKibbon. However, she said that if council does pass its own bylaw it will have an opportunity to craft it how it sees it best fits the community.
Carla Wiersema of Rainy River said, “If this its going to happen why even have this meeting?”
Several people present said they wouldn’t mind if smoking was banned from all work-places except bars. “I have no problem with it in restaurants because a person is only there for a limited time. But the bar people are there longer,” said Carla Wiersema.
Susan Carpenter of Rainy River said that she feels that people are being discriminated against by the process by which the smoke-free bylaw is being brought forth. “Freedom of choice is what Canada is about.”
Veldron Vogan of Sleeman said, “I feel I am being discriminated against by not having a (smoke-free) choice.” She added, “We have been here (smoke-free) for two hours and most smokers are fine.”
Restaurant owner Pam Newman said, “Why not try going smoke-free for 21 days?”
Mayor Prost said that if local businesses want to try it for a short period of time they should do so on their own. “Council will not pass a bylaw for 21 days.”
However McKibbon said that would likely not work as not all workplaces would be forced to comply and that would produce an unlevel playing field. “The bar down the road could decide to offer a similar menu to yours and steal your (smoking) patrons.” She referred to this as smoker migration. “If there is no choice smokers will learn to take those cigarettes outside.”
With that in mind it was raised that there is the U.S. border factor. If a bylaw were implemented in Rainy River to “create a level playing field” what would stop patrons from migrating to Baudette. McKibbon noted that in Minnesota they also have a majority population that is non-smoker. She anticipates that those non-smokers would migrate across the border to eat and socialize in smoke-free environments.
Murray asked what NWHU would do if council passes a compromise bylaw allowing smoking in some workplaces like bars and restaurants.
McKibbon said that while they can not overturn bylaws they would review the law and if they felt it did not provide adequate protection they could act accordingly.
Carla Wiersema questioned why other workplace hazards have not been given equal billing to smoking.
Art Solomonian, a non-smoker, questioned why the provincial and federal governments are not doing something to eliminate the problem. He spoke against a smoke-free bylaw.
Logan Ewald told council that such a bylaw would have a much more adverse effect in a small town, especially with the U.S. option here. “My advice to you don’t do nothing. They (NWHU) won’t get their act together.”
McKibbon admitted that if nothing is done, that enforcement by NWHU will be a problem. However she said they have a list of communities and if they have to they will go town by town enforcing it.