Quebec moved to extinguish its title of the smoking capital of Canada yesterday as Health Minister Jean Rochon tabled tough new anti-tobacco legislation.
Under the bill, Quebecers could face fines of $50 to $600 if they light up in a no-smoking area. Stores that sell cigarettes to young people could be fined $200 to $50,000 and prohibited from selling tobacco from one month to one year.
However, Rochon's bill could still go up in smoke. If he cannot get it adopted by the National Assembly by the end of June, it could die on the order paper if an election is called for this fall.
He also has to get it through heavy lobbying by the tobacco industry - and past public opinion. There are more smokers in Quebec than in any other province - 35 per cent of Quebecers age 15 and older compared with 29 per cent elsewhere.
Quebec's Health Department says at least 10,000 deaths a year are linked to smoking - more than all those from alcohol, drugs, AIDS, traffic accidents, suicide and murder.
The legislation calls for sweeping changes in five different areas - young people's access to tobacco, restriction of tobacco smoke in the environment, the promotion of tobacco products, packaging and labeling, and monitoring the content of tobacco products.
Smoking would be prohibited in all public places except where it is specifically allowed. No smoking would be allowed at all in daycares, schools and other youth facilities.
In public areas like shopping malls, sports facilities, concert halls, video arcades and bowling alleys, smoking areas would be restricted to 40 per cent of available space.
In the workplace, smoking would be restricted to special rooms. Companies with 50 or more employees would have 18 months to provide a separate ventilation system for the smoking room, while smaller firms will have 48 months.
Smoking would be prohibited in public transportation, except in taxis if all passengers agree to permit smoking.
Restaurants with 35 or more seats will have 10 years after the law comes into force to set aside at least 60 per cent of space for non-smokers. Two years after the law takes effect, restaurants that are built or renovated will have to have partitioned and separately ventilated no-smoking sections.
Bars, casinos and bingo halls are exempt from the restrictions. In detention centres, smoking would be prohibited in cafeterias, meeting rooms, gyms, libraries and places of worship.
Access to tobacco products would be curtailed for minors. Sales clerks would be obliged to try to stop sales. Drug stores would be barred from selling tobacco within a year and vending machines would be allowed only in places inaccessible to minors.
One of the most politically sensitive issues is the decision to prohibit tobacco sponsorship of sports and cultural events. Events would have two years to find new funding, while the Montreal Grand Prix will have five years. Rochon said the government is putting together funding to compensate for the loss of about $30 million a year in tobacco sponsorships.
The legislation would also put tight restrictions on tobacco advertising. For example, any ads directed to young people would be prohibited, as would any ads that are false or misleading, link tobacco to a lifestyle or use testimonials. Gone would also be promotional items such as caps and sweaters.
Marie-Josee Lapointe, spokesman for the Canadian Tobacco Manufacturers' Council, said discrepancies between the existing federal law and Rochon's new bill could create chaos.
For example, Lapointe said, manufacturers could be required to carry health messages from both the federal and provincial governments on their packages.