THE VOl

wh

... to West Vancouver’s smoking bylaw proposal

WEST VANCOUVER is facing tough opposition
to its plans to become the first B.C. municipality
with comprehensive anti-smoking legislation.

Restaurant owners are par-
ticulary upset with provisions
of the proposed bylaw that
would limit the smoking area
in their businesses to an arca
not exceeding 50 per cent of
the available floor spacc.

The restaurant owners
would also have to separate
smokers and non-smokers
with physical barriers and sct

up ventilation systems that
would cffectively service the
two areas scparatcly.

The bylaw has received
first reading and will receive
further consideration from
aldermen at next Monday's
mecting of municipal
council.

As weil as the opposition
from restaurant owners, the
municipality has received let.
ters of protest from business
groups and homcowners in
the municipality calling the

bylaw intrusive.

The Caulfeild Property
Owners Association, for in-
stance, has called the propos-
ed bylaw ‘‘scrious overkill’’
and likened it to ‘‘the
elephant frantically trying to
stamp on the mouse.”

**The elephant stamps and
stamps but alas and alack
never really achieves the
objective.”’

!f the bylaw is approved by
council in its present form, it
will ban smoking at the
counters in banks, financial
institutions and municipal of-
fices; in clevators and on
escalators; in line-ups at food

stores; on buses; and in pa-
tient care areas of hospitals.
Smoking would be limited

to specially-designated areas,

not exceeding 50 per cent of
the floor space, in other arcas
of hospitals, in indoor areas
being used for pubtic
assembly purposes and in
restaurants with room for
more than 30 patrons.

As well as laying down str-
ingent requirements for signs
in smoking and non-smoking
arcas, the bylaw provides for
stiff penaltics. Those caught
smoking in prohibited arcas
could face fines of up to
$2,000.

The same penalty is pro-
vided for businesses which do
not comply with the provi-
sions for special smoking
areas and signage.

West Vancouver has
received enthusiastic support
from such groups as the B.C.
Medical Association and the
B.C. Lung Association and
qualified support from some
businesses that still have con-
cerns about how the bylaw
will be enforced.

But a large number of
those who have so. far
responded to council's re-
quest for input on the bylaw,
say it should be softened or

dropped.

Even some of the groups
which support the anti-
smoking idea — such as the
British Properties and Arca
Homeowners Association —
have expressed reservations
about the need for a bylaw.

Indications are that Ald.
Diana Hutchinson will pro-
pose major amendments to
the bylaw when it is introduc.
ed. In the area of controls for
restaurants for cxample, it
will likely be suggested that
council drop the bylaw provi-
sions and instead leave the
matter up to restaurant
owners.