By Gord Gunner
Published: Feb. 11, 2012.
Smoking is old school and needs to be butted out for good. We pride oursevles with calling ourselves the Outdoor Recration Capital of Canada, however we continute to allow smokers to ruin the lives of others, our wildife, and our surronding environment.
Have you ever seen a dead bird with cigarette butts, but still not dissolved in its stimach. If you have seen it, then you will know how disgusting it is.
I am asking the mayor and the district to change the bylaw to no smoking in public anywhere except in vehicles and private property.
I am asking that you make bylaw that bans throwing of ciagerthhre butts and packaging on the grounds illegal.
I’m aking for the toughest penalities anywhere for the offences that I have mentioned. I suggest these penalties for smoking in public.
For smoking in public, I suggest a warning on first offence, $300 for the second penalty, and $600 for the third offence.
Once the word gets out that we as a commuity will not tolerate the laziness of smokers, then we will become a much more healthier and cleaner community.
Just imagine adding that to our town slogan:
The Outdoor Recreation and Smoke Free Capital of Canada. I like the sound of that. I hope you do.
For the sake of your fellow human beings and for the sake of your environment, please make the changed that I have asked to.
Editor’s Note: This is an abridged version of the letter that Squamish resident Gord Gunner sent to the district. The entire letter can be read here.
ellen says
Bravo Gord, couldn’t agree more and I’d also like to add that smoking in apartment buildings is a nuisance for people who have to sniff it from their neighbor below. Why can’t we have our windows and balcony doors open without the smell of smoke festering in our own suite? It feels like someone is puffing away in your face, it is THAT strong! I understand smokers who are ignorant when it comes to their own health, but they don’t need to shove their nasty habit down people’s throat who want no part in it. There needs to be a bylaw for apartment buildings as well, even if they are smoking in their suite, older buildings especially have ventilation systems where your neighbor smells it in theirs, and I am not only talking about bathrooms. If it takes fining people to make them wake up, then by all means I am for it.
Peter Jackson says
Just so you know, not all of us suffering under this wretched addiction are as rude as you claim. Personally, I take great measures to ensure that my addiction doesn’t impact others. For instance, while walking the dog down by the mamquam, I always collect the butts up and deposit them into the garbage. In the car, I collect the butts in a can and then throw them out properly. I also really try to ensure that no-one is down wind of me while I smoke. For instance, I think the other smokers are being rude to walk down a sidewalk smoking while there are families behind them. Surely you can wait to have a smoke or find a place off the beaten path?
But this draconian attitude of yours, Gord, will not work. Education is the key, not penalties. I have seen enough erosions of personal freedom in the last ten years to last me a lifetime, and finding more ways to give governments more power to get even more money out of our pockets is not the answer. This is a slippery slope and the more we goosestep into slavery through regulation, the more of a hell we will create with our good intentions.
If a guy like me (im not the most enlighted fellow out there) can learn to take measures to ensure that I dont litter up the landscape or expose others in public to my addiction, then so can others.
As for the right for people to smoke in their own apartments, even Trudeau recognized that governments should not invade the bedrooms of its citizens. Like a frog in slowly boiling pot, these kinds of measures will only lead to the next witchhunt. And next time, maybe something your doing will be on the list.
Personally, I was very happy to see the funded programs at the pharmacy that were designed to help us kick this habit. This was a good step. I signed up and my quit date is set for tomorrow.
I am not trying to piss anyone off with this response, I just think education, not discrimination, is the answer.
Phil McKraken says
Ellen, if you can smell the smoke from your neighbour smoking in his bathroom, what would happen if he ate a five alarm burrito earlier that day and just laid a bomb in there that would peel the paint off the walls and make small children cry? Can you smell that to? Do you think we should have a bylaw for that and fine him as well. We can have a special squad of bylaw officers for offensive bathroom venting infractions. The nazis in council would probably be on board with that.
ellen says
It is true that education is the key Peter and you are one of the very few who is sincerely kicking the habit and thank you for pointing out that the pharmacy has such a program.
Phil, I appreciate you giving me a good laugh 😀