4 aw NEWS photo Julle Iverson SCOTT Robertson works on the deck he Is building outside Jack Lonsdale’s Pub. The deck will allow smokers to light-up without breaking the municipal bylaw. Sunday, April 2, 2000 - North Shore News - 5 in effect on smoking inside Erin Stringer Contributing Writer CONFUSION reigns regarding the status of smoking in bars and pubs across the North Shore. North Shore municipal bylaws that prohib- it smoking in public places are not affected by the recent BC Supreme Court overturning of a Workers Compensation Board smoking ban. “These bylaws have been in existence for a number of years,” said Paul Markey, the chief environmesstal health officer for the North Shore. “The WCB case is an entirely separate thing and has nothing to do with us.” On Wednesday morning Markey said the ublic is still “extremely confused” about the an and where it applies. Adding to the uncertainty is the question as to whether or not smoking will be allowed in establishments located on Squamish Band property in West Vancouver. Bars, pubs, and other indoor places on the First Nations land don’t fali under the same municipal bylaw jurisdiction, and may be exempt from any anti-smoking bylaw. “It’s a bit of a grey zone,” said a West Vancouver clerk Friday morning. “We’re doing some research, and there’s currently some dis- cussion, but the assumption is that any portion within the district is under these bylaws.” She said that complaints about First Nations pubs would likely receive the same attention as those on non-native land. Markey said that because of confusion sur- rounding the bylaw, establishments will be given “as much lead-in time as possible.” “We're giving the pubs a little more educa- tion and information up front. They will get a couple of verbal warnings, then a written letter, and then, if necessary, a fine.” Violations could result in $100 tickets for the operator, or in a more serious case, up to $2,000 if convicted in court. Individual smok- ers could also be slapped with $50 fines. However, Markey said it’s unlikely that smokers would ever be charged, because of the verbal warnings and letters given before an actual ticket. “Each time we visit a premise it will be a dif- ferent person smoking. We wouldn’t be able to get the continuity with a patron that we would with the operator of the premises.” There are eight environmental health offi- cers covering the three North Shore munici- palities. Along with investigating violations on a complaint basis, bylaws will be enforced through routine inspections and monitoring of local venues. Mike Rakis, the owner of Jack Lonsdale’s pub in North Vancouver, said not enough is being done to ensure that places are complying with the bylaw. “They need to send more people out to enforce it,” he said, adding that many North Shore pubs aren’t following the rules. “It’s got to be level all the way across if the city’s going to do this.” Rakis is now building a deck outside the . pub thar will accommodate smokers. He agrees that there is public confusion after the lifting of the WCB ban. “It made everyone think there's smoking all over,” he said. “ We want to comply (with the ban), but we want everyone to be on the same level. I don’t like playing Russian roulette with my business. If everyone enforces it, then I will.” Establishments will soon be receiving notices from the city, once again reminding — them that the North Shore is entirely smoke- ce. Make your ones currently in place in From page 4 there were also deeper psycho- logical issues at play. She described factors such as premature births or sub- stance abuse by expectant mothers as crippling to the development of a vital section of the infant’s brain known as the orbital frontal cortex. ‘That area ‘grows when mil- lions upon millions of micro- S$copic ‘neurons ascend from the lower venwicular regions of the brain up glial fibres to form. synaptic: connections. The orbital. frontal cortex is particularly ‘responsive to Brain requires stimulation human facial expressions and tones of voice and allows peo- ple to foster empathic respons- es and the ability to self-regu- late negative emotions. When the growth of that section of the brain is inter- rupted, she said, it can set the stage for violent behaviour later in life. She cited the case of an 11- year-old boy in Aloha, Or. who was charged with arson after he set fire to his apart- ment building several years ago, killing cight people. Tests revealed that the boy had a large cleft in his brain resulting . from his father repeatedly striking him over the head with a clipboard while he was an infant. *The brain is Grand Central when it comes to all human behaviour,” she said. Unlike other o such as the heart or liver, the human brain develops and ‘ows in response to stimulus om the surrounding envi- ronment. The weight of a newborn human brain is only 25% of its eventual adult weight, but by age two that brain will grow to 90% of its adult weight. That fact, said Karr- Morse, makes it vital for infants and toddlers to receive the proper care and stimulation that will allow their brain to grow at a normal rate during those key first years of development. When a child is neglected or abused, necessary synaptic connections may be pruned away and the emotional devel- opment of the child may be stunted permanently. “The quality of stimulation and the quality of care is cru- cial,” she said. “Neglect can have drastic consequences for children.” Karr-Morse also promoted the implementation of home visitation programs like the many European countries, U : where health nurses make reg- love nique ular home visits to monitor . and mentor new mothers dur- ing and after pregnancy. She also etied for greater tax relief and subsidies for par- ents who opt to stay home to care for their children and the provision of improved child- care services for parents that 2435 Marine Dr. return to work. 922-3014 coact tone) fest Van (GIL CHANGE sepqs0 B7L OFF. row connie 10020 a kanes and envire lees. ° WIth This coupon » For Most vebacles ee eth sane 985. 1080 QQ conrne $300 . 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