Winnipeg Free Press

Anti-tobacco measures have people burning mad

Quebecers, among the country's most hard-core cigarette puffers, are denouncing new anti-tobacco measures they say will turn workmates into smoking snitches.

Even non-smokers are burning burning mad that companies would be allowed to designate some employees as enforcers of workplace anti-smoking rules.

"It reminds me of the worst totalitarian regimes in the Soviet Union and China", said Bernard Brody, an expert on labour relations and ardent defender of non-smokers rights.

The employee-inspectors are among the means that firms could use to apply Quebec's tobacco-control law.

The law, which regulates smoking in public places as well as the sale and promotion of tobacco products, was adopted in June, 1998 but the workplace rules go into effect December 17.

Companies which fail to keep their premises smoke-free, except for designated smoking rooms, could be fined $400 to $4,000 for a first offence and up to $10,000 for repeat violations.

Company-designated inspectors would have the right to issue fines of $50 to $300 to employees who are first time offenders.