By rdnewsNOW staff

Rocky Mountain House looking to streamline tobacco and cannabis bylaws

Nov 22, 2018 | 1:33 PM

A new bylaw combining regulations for the smoking and vaping of both tobacco and cannabis is in the works for The Town of Rocky Mountain House.

On Tuesday, council directed Town administration to develop the new bylaw to essentially streamline the rules regarding the consumption of both products in the community.

The move follows a Notice of Motion made by councilor Len Phillips on October 16 that called for administration to draft a bylaw for tobacco consumption that mirrors the Town’s cannabis consumption bylaw (Consumption Bylaw 2018/30V).

As mandated by the province, town officials say the consumption of tobacco is legislated under the Province of Alberta Tobacco and Smoking Reduction Act (2005). This means municipalities across Alberta have the opportunity to create their own smoking bylaw whether new or to modify existing bylaws for their community.

Town officials add if council chooses to take no action, the consumption of tobacco in the Town of Rocky Mountain House will be aligned with the Province of Alberta Tobacco and Smoking Regulations.

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Currently, regulations for Tobacco Smoking Bylaw 2018/35V include:

– A person may smoke or consume tobacco in any Public Place. Smoking of tobacco in public shall not be within 5 metres distance from a doorway, window or air intake of a public place or workplace unless otherwise posted, 

– No person shall smoke tobacco on private property without the consent or permission of the owner of the private property, 

– No person shall smoke within 10 metres of any doorway, window or air intake of a Town owned building, 

– No person shall smoke tobacco within 10 metres of the boundary to parks, playgrounds, skateparks, water-spray parks, trails, tennis courts and libraries. This does not apply when it affects a private property adjacent to any of the listed town recreation facilities and outdoor spaces,

– A designated smoking area will be located at the Christenson Sports and Wellness Centre, 

– No person shall smoke within 10 metres of the Credit Union Co-op Aquatic Centre and the Lou Soppit Community Centre doorways, window or air intake of these facilities, 

– Smoking of tobacco will not be allowed within 10 metres of the Town’s baseball dugouts and all bleachers situated at any of the sports fields within Rocky Mountain House, and, 

– There will be no smoking of tobacco within 10 metres of play fields (soccer, football, and baseball).

The all-encompassing draft bylaw returns to Rocky Mountain House council December 18.