A law passed in the Ontario legislature Wednesday will ban smoking in every workplace and indoor public area by June 2006.
The Smoke-Free Ontario Act also gives shopkeepers until 2008 to get rid of "power wall" display cases, which hold dozens of cigarette packages at a time.
"I'm very proud of this legislation," Premier Dalton McGuinty told reporters after the bill passed final reading in the legislature by a 71-6 vote.
McGuinty noted that smoking kills 16,000 Ontario residents each year, and costs the province billions of dollars in lost productivity and health-care costs.
"We're taking a strong stand against tobacco, and by so doing, standing up for the health of Ontarians," he said.
Even legion halls will be subject to the new rules, despite calls from veterans for an exemption.
Source.
