Car Smoking Ban - Ontario

Ontario bans smoking in cars with kids under 16

Ontario became the latest province to ban adults from smoking in cars where children are present Monday after a government-backed bill passed in the legislature with support from all parties.

The province already bans smoking in workplaces and public areas, such as bars and restaurants. The new ban will also protect kids under the age of 16 who are being exposed to dangerous levels of second-hand smoke, said Health Promotion Minister Margarett Best.

"This is about protection of our most vulnerable citizens — children who do not have a voice," Best told the legislature.

Premier Dalton McGuinty once dismissed a province-wide ban as a slippery slope that infringed too much on people's rights, but changed his tune in March and threw his government's support behind the private members' bill.

Offenders will also face much lighter fines than originally envisioned by Liberal backbencher David Orazietti, who championed the ban. Drivers and passengers who don't butt out in vehicles carrying children won't be fined more than $250 for each offence, rather than being penalized up to $1,000.

Nova Scotia and British Columbia have already outlawed the practice, which critics liken to child abuse. Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick are also considering a similar ban.

Police will be expected to enforce the law once it takes effect, but the province is counting on most people abiding by the law, said Best.

Ontario Provincial Police have said the ban won't make their job more onerous, as they are already inspecting for seatbelts and child car seats.

The province says kids are exposed to up to 27 times the toxins when they're in enclosed spaces like a car, which can worsen asthma and lead to other respiratory illnesses.

Mychoice.ca, a smokers' rights group financed in part by the tobacco industry, has raised concerns that the ban will eventually extend to private homes, but Mr. McGuinty said that's not under consideration

Source: GlobeandMail.ca