The Smoke-free Places Act requires that all indoor workplaces and public places, select outdoor public spaces, outdoor licensed areas and patios of all restaurants, lounges, beverage rooms and cabarets be smoke-free.
The Smoke-free Places Act applies to all combustibles, including tobacco, cannabis, e-cigarettes, and waterpipes.
Municipalities may pass bylaws that put additional restrictions in place. The stricter rules apply.
Overview of the Smoke-free Places Act
No smoking is permitted in the following enclosed places:
- daycare, pre-school
- school, community college or university (also, no smoking on P-12 [or elementary and secondary] school grounds)
- library, art gallery or museum
- health-care facility
- cinema or theatre
- video arcade, pool hall, billiards room
- recreational facility where the primary activity is physical
- recreation, including a bowling alley, fitness centre, gymnasium, pool or rink
- multi-service centre, community centre/hall, arena, fire hall or church hall
- meeting or conference room or hall, ballroom or conference centre
- retail shop, boutique, market or store or shopping mall
- laundromat
- ferry, ferry terminal, bus, bus station or shelter, taxi, taxi shelter, limousine or vehicle carrying passengers for hire
- common area of a commercial building or multi-unit residential building, including but not limited to corridors, lobbies, stairwells, elevators, escalators, eating areas, washrooms and restrooms
- restaurants, lounges, beverage rooms, private clubs, cabarets, clubs or other places licensed to serve alcoholic beverages
- bingos
- a casino complex
- a facility as defined in the Hospitals Act
- offices of the Government of the Province, a municipality, a village or regional centre for education
- provincial jail, detention centre, or reformatory
Select outdoor public spaces
- on or within 20 meters of playgrounds located in an outdoor public space
- on or within 20 meters of a publicly owned sport and recreation event or venue, located in an outdoor public space
- on and within nine meters of public trails
- in provincial parks and on provincial beaches, except for within the boundaries of a rented campsite
- school grounds
Vehicles
- in personal vehicles when there is a person under the age of 19 present
- in vehicles used as part of one’s job or work; this does not apply to a personal vehicle used for work purposes if they are the only person using the vehicle for work purposes (this applies to tobacco only – any use of cannabis in vehicles is prohibited)
Licensed outdoor areas and patios
- The Act requires all outdoor licensed areas and patios of all restaurants, lounges, beverage rooms and cabarets to be smoke-free
Nursing home or residential care facility or a part of a health-care facility used for the acute or long-term care of veterans:
- Designated smoking rooms are permitted
- must be enclosed and separately ventilated
- only residents are permitted
- signs must be posted at the entrance
Building entrances
- no smoking within 4 metres of windows, air intake vents and entrances to places of employment
Contact
If you have any questions specific to the Smoke-free Places Act please call 1-877-936-8476.