Give time, wishes not more garbage

Dear editor: Great editorial from David Trifunov (“Holidays too trashy, Herald, Nov. 12).

Time we took trash in hand. Why does every occasion have to have sweets? Why do all gifts need to be wrapped extravagantly? And then why do we have to throw it all away?

Each person needs to become responsible for his environment. Cut down on what you use, recycle most items, shop local, give “best wishes” and “good visits” instead of gifts most of us do not need.

Thanks, David, for bringing up the subject as we enter the season of extravagant entertaining and gifting. Jan Higgins Penticton

The city is planning to have 30 smoking sites operating as designated areas and more locations as public feedback flows back to the municipality.

Halifax reached this decision because in order to ban only marijuana and leave tobacco smoking in place, enforcement of the bylaw would require seizure of marijuana joints, sending them to labs for testing and proving it was cannabis. The bylaw would be essentially unenforceable with disputes requiring bylaw officers trained in protection of evidence procedures and tied up in court prosecutions:

A very costly outcome for taxpayers as the prosecution of the panhandler Paul Braun in Penticton proved to be.

Some groups like the Halifax YWCA have argued the community-wide prohibitions will disproportionately hit the poor and marginalized.

In Nova Scotia in 2013, 65 per cent of all smokers made less than $29,000 annually.

Kentville, N.S., an Annapolis Valley community, has prohibited smoking in municipal spaces since 2010.

Hampstead, Que., and Wood Buffalo, Alta., also passed bylaws prohibiting all forms of smoking and vaping in public places

According to a Statistics Canada survey in 2011, smoking levelled off in 2009 with B.C. being the lowest at 15.8 per cent; Nova Scotia at 21.8 per cent; Alberta at 21.7 per cent and Quebec at 21 per cent. Elvena Slump Penticton