Smoke Police arrive in Victoria, B.C.

(in deference to politeness, they're called "Environmental health officers")

Peter Blashill-for The Province

Cab Driver Claude Proulx lights up in the Esquimalt Inn Pub, defying Greater Victoria's new no-smoking bylaw.

The Province, by Barbara McLintock, Staff Reporter - 05 January 1999

Few puffs of smoke blown in face of Victoria bylaw

VICTORIA - Canada's toughest no-smoking bylaw kicked into high gear in Greater Victoria yesterday - but not everyone was butting out.

Environmental health officers began making the rounds of restaurants, bars, cabarets, casinos and bingo parlours to check that establishments had proper "no smoking" signs posted and weren't actively encouraging smoking, and that individuals weren't lighting up in defiance of the bylaw.

But they didn't give out any tickets.

Regional medical health officer Dr. Richard Stanwick said the officers found almost everyone obliging.

"But we know there are a handful of establishments that have drawn a line in the sand" and plan to defy the bylaw, he said.

One such establishment is the Esquimalt Inn, where manager Brian Mayzes and owner Vic Zanet were waiting patiently yesterday afternoon for the bylaw officers to come to start enforcement proceedings.

Mayzes and Zanet had the support of the customers at their rock and sports bar, even those who don't smoke but believe the bylaw is taking government interference in citizens' private lives too far.

One group of customers equated the new bylaw with gun registration, motorcycle-helmet laws and mandatory-seat-belt laws.

Restaurants and hotel watering spots appeared to have higher compliance rates than pubs and bars.

And in at least one bingo parlour, smoking had dropped to only two out of 27 patrons in the room.

"What you see is what you get," said the supervisor.

Individuals or business breaking the bylaw can receive tickets ranging from $100 for a first offence to $2,000 for repeat offenders.

B.C. MLAs will have to join the rest of Greater Victoria in butting out while eating out.

Legislative Speaker Gretchen Brewin has ordered the taxpayer-subsidized legislative dining room to follow the dictates of the regional bylaw and go 100 per cent smoke-free.

"It'll come as a bit of shock to some of them (the MLAs)," said Brewin, noting some come from parts of B.C. where there's virtually no anti-smoking legislation.

But Brewin said she doesn't have any control over what happens in individual cabinet ministers' offices, and some of them may still choose to smoke or allow smoking in them.

Dan Miller and Corky Evans are two cabinet ministers known for their smoking habits.

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