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City of North Van stubs out smoking in parks, plazas

City of North Vancouver council is forging ahead with plans to stub out smoking and vaping in “all parks and plazas and on multi-use pathways.” Lighting up of any kind was already prohibited within 7.
smoker

City of North Vancouver council is forging ahead with plans to stub out smoking and vaping in “all parks and plazas and on multi-use pathways.”

Lighting up of any kind was already prohibited within 7.5 metres of any building’s doors, windows or air intakes as well as near playgrounds, picnic areas and in Jack Loucks Court and Rogers Plaza next to the John Braithwaite Community.

Council voted unanimously Monday night to a series of bylaw changes that extend the ban to virtually everywhere else in the city’s 50 parks, the Spirit Trail and Green Necklace as well as the Shipyards and Burrard Drydock Pier.

Under the rule changes, the ticket for violating the bylaw will jump from $70 to $230, to harmonize the fine with the latest provincial regulation that came in when cannabis was legalized.

Paul Duffy, manager of bylaw services for the city, said the city has the ability to fine not just people smoking outside a cannabis shop, but the owners inside as well. But, he added, legalization didn’t result in a cloud of public smoking.

“I thought there’d be a big puff of smoke on Lonsdale. It didn’t happen. We’ve had 25 complaints since 2018 on smoking related files,” he said.

Duffy told council he’s not sure whether there will be a public expectation for greater levels of enforcement, but he added it’s typically easier to get the same smoke-free air through education than it is to dispatch a bylaw or RCMP officer to someone flouting the rules.

“In the initial stages, we are going to monitor it. We do have the ability to change up and address or put some resources to it, but in the very beginning, we’re going to see how it rolls out,” he said.

Before the new rules can take effect, the city must still get the approval of the provincial Health Ministry.

And ads for vaping products will soon be evaporating from bus shelters and other city-owned advertising space in the city.

Council voted unanimously Monday night on a new policy that opposes vaping ads anywhere the city has control over ad content.

A recent survey found 31 per cent of youth in North Vancouver reported vaping with nicotine in the previous month, 10 per cent higher than the provincial average, the city staff report notes.

“In my mind, it is highly unethical [for] these e-cigarette and vaping product companies to be promoting these products to youth, no different than what they did in the tobacco industry years ago, and so I’m very happy to see us close that gap,” said Coun. Angela Girard, casting her vote in favour.

Coun. Tony Valente said he was disappointed Health Canada hadn’t been more proactive in banning such ads to begin with.