TORONTO — The Ontario government will ban smoking in cars with children present, Premier Dalton McGuinty says.
The Premier said Wednesday that the proposed ban is the “next logical step” in his government's campaign against smoking.
He admitted that he had initially been cool to the idea of a ban. He had said last fall that he worried about “a slippery slope” of interfering with individual rights.
But he said that he had been persuaded that children 16 and under needed to be protected from second-hand smoke.
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty says his government will introduce legistlation this spring to ban smoking in vehicles carrying children. (The Canadian Press)
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“I changed my mind,” he told a gathering at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. “I think it's the right thing to do for kids.
Mr. McGuinty said legislation would be introduced this spring and that he hoped for all-party support to ensure quick passage.
New Democrat MPP Michael Prue said he saw no reason why his party wouldn't vote for a ban.
The Ontario Medical Association supported the proposed ban.
“The need for such a ban is undeniable,” said Dr. Suzanne Strasberg, OMA board chair, noting that the concentration of smoke in a vehicle can be up to 60 times greater than it is indoors.
The bill is expected to provide for fines of up to $200.
