Jump to full article: BC Local News (ca), 2008-04-04
Author: Alberni Valley News
Intro: A nasty stench is emanating from the province of B.C.’s latest tobacco law, and it’s not second-hand smoke.
A few years ago, ‘new’ tobacco laws required drinking establishments to go smoke free indoors, but they could either build a ventilated smoking room or a patio to accommodate smokers.
At the time, drinking establishments cried foul, correctly believing their bottom lines would suffer, then reluctantly followed the new regulations.
Many, like the Port Pub, spent thousands of dollars on new ventilation systems and smoking rooms as recently as four years ago in an attempt to accommodate their smoking customers. After some growing pains, the system seemed to be working.
But the government reared its draconian law-making head once again . . .
If government officials were going to outright ban smoking indoors, they should have done so years ago. It would have saved many businesses a lot of money.
At the very least, the provincial government should compensate those establishments that now have very expensive, fresh air indoor playpens that used to be smoking rooms.
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