The City of Regina has jumped on the bandwagon to ban smoking on restaurant patios.
We wonder how long it will be before Estevan, and other Saskatchewan cities, follow suit.
It’s a move that will likely be cheered by the majority of people. Attitudes towards smoking continue to change, and it’s becoming harder to find public places that allow smoking.
Fifteen years ago, it was still legal to smoke in Saskatchewan restaurants, and even in many indoor public places. The Estevan Curling Club, for example, didn’t move to ban smoking on the ice until the early 2000s. It was not rare to see people puffing a cigarette between shots.
Remember how restaurant owners were furious when the government moved to ban smoking in bars and restaurants in 2005? There was a massive protest in Weyburn that year. But most restaurants emerged from the smoking ban relatively unscathed, and smoke-free restaurants are better for both patrons and employees.
(It’s now hard to imagine the thick haze of smoke that used to be common in Saskatchewan restaurants).
But there is a difference between a smoking ban for an indoor area such as a restaurant, and an outdoor area, such as a patio. That is why the debate for allowing smoking on patios should be very different.
Ultimately, it should be left up to the individual restaurants, and not government, whether to allow customers on patios to light up.
Some restaurants already have smoke-free patios, and they’ll tell you it was a great decision. They’ll say it creates a better experience for customers, and their employees don’t have to worry about cleaning up cigarette butts. They believe it benefits their business.
Other restaurants will argue to allow smoking because it’s what their customers want, and when you see a large group of customers gathered to smoke on a patio on a Friday or Saturday night, it’s hard to argue with them.
Some might argue the best option would be to have an area of the patio for smokers and another area for non-smokers, but it would likely lead to complaints from both sides.
Restaurant owners know what’s best for their particular clientele, and what’s best for business. So let them decide what to do with their patios.
Estevan City Council passed a smoking bylaw last year to replace their antiquated smoking policy. This new bylaw sets out where people can smoke at city-owned buildings and recreation areas. The previous policy outlined just the smoking areas for recreational facilities.
It also put the kibosh on vaping at city facilities. Vaping has been growing in popularity as an alternative to smoking. It’s not so much the health consequences of vaping that makes some people skittish; rather, it’s the appearance of others smoking that they seemingly want to avoid.
One day, you won’t be able to smoke on restaurant patios in Saskatchewan. The provincial government will ultimately take that step, and follow the lead of Alberta. It’s unlikely Estevan city council will make a move in that direction.
And you can be sure the restaurant industry won’t be happy about a patio smoking ban, just like they weren’t happy when the government said they couldn’t allow smoking in restaurants 12 years ago.
