North Vancouver council set to reject calls for blanket public smoking ban

Should smoking be completely banned in public areas?

That’s a question going to North Vancouver City Council on Monday, after a group of residents approached the city asking for a complete smoking ban on their street.

Under the City of North Vancouver’s current smoking bylaw, implemented in 2015, smoking is banned within 7.5 metres of a public building, playground, playing field, swimming beach, food concession or city trail.

But residents of a section of West 1st Avenue want to see the law go further, with their street made completely off-limits to smokers.

North Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto said that the city has implemented a voluntary ban in the area, but admits it hasn’t been 100 per cent effective.

The city referred the question to staff whether implementing a full ban — and enforcing it — was possible. That report is now headed back to council on Monday, with a recommendation that the city deny any blanket ban.

Mussatto said it comes down to a question of enforcement, since bylaw officers aren’t actually allowed to ask people for identification.

“How do you write them a ticket if you can’t ask for their identification? So then it becomes an RCMP-type of issue. And is that the best use of our RCMP officers?”

He said the city is also too understaffed to be cracking down on smokers in public places.

Mussatto said the current discussion on blanket public smoking bans is specifically related to cigarettes, but added that council will soon have to address questions of cannabis smoke on their own merits.

“Our city is going to be looking at the legalization of marijuana and how we’re going to handle that in the near future,” he said. “But I think this is a bit of a separate issue just about smoking in general. Some people don’t like the smell of it and of course there are health hazards.”

Council is set to vote on the report Monday evening.