After an increase in public requests, the Town of Sylvan Lake has expanded their Smoke Free Bylaw, to enhance the definition of smoking, and to further limit the exposure of harmful second hand smoke to vulnerable people.

The definition of 'smoke' or 'smoking' now includes anything you inhale to exhale, which includes e cigarettes, hookahs, or any other type of vaporizer designed to burn or heat tobacco, cannabis, or any other weed or substance for the purpose of inhaling or tasting its smoke or emissions.

They also extended their smoking restrictions to any public place a child may be present, and the distance allowed for smoking from an entrance has increased from 3 to 5 meters.

Communications Officer with Sylvan Lake Joanne Gaudet says their annual shoreline cleanup of the lake really shows the extent of public smoking.

“In 2017 volunteers of that underwater and shoreline clean-up, accounted for over 8,600 collected cigarettes and/or cigar butts from our waterfront, and I think that’s kind of a catalyst for people looking for expanded smoking restrictions.”

They do include cannabis in those definitions, but Gaudet says this just covers medical marijuana at the moment, as a Cannabis Consumption Bylaw is expected to come forward to council on June 11th. 

For more information on the Smoke Free Bylaw, you can click here to visit the town of Sylvan Lakes Website.