Smoke-free Places Act
The Smoke-free Places Act requires on December 1, 2006 that all indoor workplaces and public places to be smoke-free. The Act requires all outdoor licensed areas and patios of all restaurants, lounges, beverage rooms and cabarets to be smoke-free.
Designated smoking rooms can be operated for the use of residents in health-care facilities for the acute or long-term care of veterans, in licensed nursing homes and residential care facilities and in homes for aged and disabled persons.
Click here for a copy of the Act
Overview of the Smoke-free Places Act
Total Smoking Ban
No smoking is permitted in the following enclosed places:
daycare, pre-school
school, community college or university [also, no smoking on school grounds]
library, art gallery or museum
health-care facility
cinema or theatre
video arcade, pool hall, billiards room
recreational facility where the primary activity is physical
recreation, including a bowling alley, fitness centre, gymnasium, pool or rink
multi-service centre, community centre/hall, arena, fire hall or church hall
meeting or conference room or hall, ballroom or conference centre
retail shop, boutique, market or store or shopping mall
laundromat
ferry, ferry terminal, bus, bus station or shelter, taxi, taxi shelter, limousine or vehicle carrying passengers for hire
common area of a commercial building or multi-unit residential building, including but not limited to corridors, lobbies, stairwells, elevators, escalators, escalators, eating areas, washrooms and restrooms
restaurants, lounges, beverage rooms, private clubs, cabarets, clubs or other places licensed to serve alcoholic beverages
bingos
a casino complex
a facility as defined in the Hospitals Act
offices of the Government of the Province, a municipality, a village or a school board
provincial jail, detention centre, or reformatory
Vehicles
no smoking in vehicles used in the course of employment while carrying two or more employees
Restaurants
no smoking at any time
Beverage rooms & Lounges
no smoking at any time
Places used for Bingo
no smoking at any time
Private clubs
no smoking at any time
Casinos
no smoking at any time
Licensed outdoor areas and patios
The Act requires all outdoor licensed areas and patios of all restaurants, lounges, beverage rooms and cabarets to be smoke-free
Nursing home or residential care facility or a part of a health-care facility used for the acute or long-term are of veterans:
Designated smoking rooms are permitted
must be enclosed and separately ventilated
only residents are permitted
signs must be posted at the entrance
Building entrances
no smoking within 4 metres of windows, air intake vents and entrances to places of employment
Tobacco Possession by Youth
no youth under the age of 19 may possess tobacco
tobacco possession is not an offence, however, peace officers with reasonable and probable grounds to believe that a person under 19 may be in possession of tobacco may confiscate tobacco.
Effective Date
Comes into force on January 1, 2003
If you have any questions specific to the Smoke-free Places Act please call 1-800-565-3611.
