Amendments to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act will supercede existing municipal bylaws

Health officials are applauding a plan to eliminate smoking from patios and playgrounds next year, but a local nightclub owner worries the move could cause have a big economic impact.

Andr Legault, who operates Encore in Orillia along with Barrie's Sound Empire, said banning smoking on outdoor patios will likely cut revenues at bars and nightclubs across the province.

"On a nightclub basis, it's going to affect us tremendously," he said, adding he fully supports tougher smoking measures for playgrounds and the like.

The province announced it will ban smoking on bar and restaurant patios, playgrounds and public sport fields effective January 1.

The sale of tobacco on college and university campuses will also be outlawed, Associated Heath Minister Dipika Damerla told the Toronto Sun, pointing out the provincial Liberals are committed to having the lowest smoking rates in the country.

Under current legislation, smoking is permitted on uncovered bar and restaurant patios. Encore features a large outdoor patio while Sound Empire has an alleyway where patrons go to light up.

Legault said it will be difficult for busy clubs like Encore to monitor and control who is leaving to go outside to have a cigarette, especially when there is a lineup to get in.

"Let's say a fight breaks out in the street, monitoring that puts us in an awkward position," he said, noting such an incident would be taking place on city property and likely wouldn't fall under the auspices of a business's security personnel.

"It's a complicated situation."

The amendments to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act will supercede existing municipal bylaws while also covering all publicly-owned sports surfaces and extending to spectators as well.

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Amendments to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act will supercede existing municipal bylaws