Vaping, pot smoking would fall under same rules as tobacco
CRD plans awareness campaign, including ticketing at bus stops
A major awareness campaign — including ticketing at bus stops — is being planned if and when new Capital Regional District regulations restricting vaping and smoking pot become law.
The proposed changes, which would treat vaping of any substance and smoking marijuana the same as tobacco under the CRD’s clean air bylaw, were endorsed by the CRD’s planning and protective services committee.
If approved by the CRD board the changes would mean that, similar to smoking tobacco, vaping or pot smoking would not be permitted at workplaces, parks and public squares, playgrounds, bus stops or within seven metres of doorways, air intakes or windows.
“We are working with Island Health right now to launch a large media campaign as soon as this is approved,” Kevin Lorette, CRD general manager of planning and protective services, told CRD directors on Wednesday.
“So we’ll be going out strong with this amendment and we’ll be educating all of the CRD bylaw officers. So that whole campaign on enforcement is being actively pursued and we’ll roll it out as soon as this is adopted,” he said.
In 2017-18, about 108 complaints were received under the clean air bylaw of which 33 were substantiated, including 10 at bus stops, 10 near buildings, one at a park, one at a public square, five at restaurants and six at retail outlets.
No tickets were written as the emphasis has been on public awareness and education. The bylaw includes the possibility of $100 fines for smoking in a park or within seven metres of a bus stop.
As far back as 1996, when the CRD first banned tobacco smoking on school grounds, the focus has been on good signage, said Island chief medical health officer Dr. Richard Stanwick, “because if people understand what’s expected of them, the vast majority of people in this region are law-abiding citizens and they abide by, basically, signage.”
Stanwick said, however, policing the bylaw at areas such as bus stops is challenging.
“What we are committed to is responding to complaints. Probably some of the most common are around bus stops and that poses a particular challenge,” he said. “It’s just like someone witnessing someone running a stop sign. You can see it but if you call the police, by the time the police got there, the car would be long gone.”
CRD chairman Steve Price said amending the CRD bylaw to cover vaping and marijuana is a “perfectly logical” next step.
“As community leaders of the day, today we need to follow the good work that the leaders before us established with the current clean air bylaw,” Price said.
He said the proposed CRD bylaw changes are simply bringing provincial and local regulations into alignment.
British Columbia’s Tobacco and Vapour Products Control Act sets a six-metre smoke-free buffer zone around doorways, air intakes and open windows to public spaces and workplaces.
Stores, offices and entrances to apartment buildings are considered public spaces or workplaces under the act, which also includes work vehicles, public transit, taxis, cafés, casinos, and pubs and bars.
Three years ago, at Stanwick’s recommendation, the CRD expanded its bylaw to make it illegal to light a cigarette at any park, playing field, bus stop, beach or public square in the capital region.
The bylaw extended the no-smoking zones around doorways, windows, air intakes and bus shelters to seven metres from three metres.
“What we are really looking at is how can we sort of bring our bylaw into a uniform approach to dealing with a variety of issues,” Stanwick said.