Now that recreational cannabis use has been legalized, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health is working toward greater public education on use of the drug, as well as working with its partners to enforce compliance with the new Smoke-Free Ontario Act.
A lot of the work Public Health will be doing in the foreseeable future will focus on education and progressive enforcement, said Chuck Ferguson, communications manager with the agency.
The new Smoke-Free Ontario Act adds cannabis and vaping to the previously-existing rules around tobacco smoking, said Ferguson.
“Public Health is responsible for education and enforcement of the Smoke-Free Ontario Act. Inspectors and Enforcement Officers conduct inspections of public places and workplaces and the public can register complaints with our Health Protection division,” said Dr. Nicola Mercer, Medical Officer of Health and CEO of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health. “Our objective is to ensure these products are not sold to minors and to reduce the exposure of second-hand smoke and vapour in the community.”
There is still some confusion among members of the public around what is legal and what is not when it comes to cannabis use. Ferguson said it will take some time to educate the public on its use.
“We know what smoking etiquette is, but what is cannabis etiquette?” Ferguson asked, rhetorically. “This is the first time a banned substance has been legalized in almost 100 years, so it is going to take some time to sort things through, to do public education so people understand.”
Under the new Smoke-Free Ontario Act, cannabis can only be smoked or vaped in the same places as tobacco products and prohibits any cannabis consumption in a vehicle or boat that is being driven or under a person’s care or control.
In addition, the new Act prohibits the smoking of tobacco, cannabis and vaping in the following areas:
- The outdoor grounds of community recreational facilities and the areas within 20 metres of the perimeter
- Public areas within 20 metres of the perimeter of the grounds of a school
- Public areas within 9 metres of a restaurant or bar patio
On Monday, councillors in Shelbourne, Ont. passed a new bylaw forbidding cannabis or vaping from being used in any public spaces.
Ferguson said Public Health will work with various municipal governments in Guelph, Wellington and Dufferin to support whatever localized legislation they pass.
““We work with municipal councils, the board of health is made up of many municipal elected officials,” noted Ferguson.
Public Health will engage in what Ferguson referred to as ‘progressive enforcement’, as well as rolling new signs and education in local schools.
“It’s about saying to someone, perhaps, who is violating the new rule, ‘are you aware this is what should be done,’” said Ferguson.
For more information about the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017, click here.
