AB - Defiance has anti-puffers fuming
By SHAWN LOGAN, Calgary Sun, Wed, January 3, 2007, Calgary Sun
Anti-smoking advocates are fuming over the city’s new smoking bylaw they say may be too hazy because it allows too many exemptions.
The fast-tracked legislation, which came into effect on New Year’s Day, included one-year exemptions for bingos, casinos and facilities with pre-existing smoking rooms.
And with some establishments spoiling to oppose the bylaw over concerns city council has created an uneven playing field, crusaders that pushed for the butt ban say the city should have cleared the air by declaring all of Calgary smoke-free.
Linette Soldan of Smoke Free Calgary said the exemptions may have watered down the spirit of the bylaw and could cause problems.
“Unfortunately, as soon as the amendments started to come in, this is where the loopholes come about,” she said.
“It’s nice that we’re getting it a year earlier than we thought, but it might not be going the way we hoped it would.”
Soldan said her group will continue to work with the city’s bylaw enforcement department to ensure businesses are complying.
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