Cherry blossoms in a Kentville park

Smoke-free Places Act

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.