Ontario moving forward to ban smoking in cars

The Ontario government will introduce legislation on Wednesday banning smoking in cars when children are present.

Premier Dalton McGuinty was initially against such a law, saying it infringed on people's rights, but changed his mind in early March after he said he heard from medical experts, politicians and residents.

The move puts Ontario in line with other provinces across Canada. Nova Scotia has a ban and the British Columbia government promised one in its recent throne speech. Manitoba and New Brunswick are both considering a similar law.

McGuinty says his government has the duty to protect society's "most vulnerable segment," noting one hour of second-hand smoke in a car is the same as giving kids an entire pack of cigarettes.

Liberal backbencher David Orazietti, who introduced a private member's bill that would ban the practice, suggests a maximum $200 fine for infractions where an adult is found smoking in a vehicle where a child under the age of 16 is present. He said he has 80 per cent of support from Ontarians.

The proposed ban is also supported by medical groups and anti-smoking activists, including the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

The OMA says children are exposed to up to 23 times the toxins when they're in enclosed spaces like a car, which can worsen asthma and lead to other respiratory illnesses.

Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable disease and death in Ontario, killing more than 13,000 Ontarians every year, the government says. Second-hand smoke kills more than 300 Ontario residents annually, and tobacco-related diseases directly cost Ontario's health care system $1.6 billion a year.

James Morton
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