Smoking Ban Not Enforced

(Toronto) The Toronto anti-smoking bylaw became effective at midnight June 1st and the smoking inspectors' hotline was busy. Apparently, business patrons were aware of the law, but lighting up anyway. Unfortunately, the only advice from the hotline was for bar and restaurant owners to call the police.

"I was told to treat someone smoking in my establishment like you would a drunk and call the police. This is par for the course. It's the city," Vic Salerno, owner of Upfront Bar and Grill, said yesterday after calling inspectors to say the bylaw was being broken in his pub.

However, cops will not be enforcing the municipal smoking prohibition, according to Toronto Police spokesman Constable Kristine Bacharach.

My take is that it's absolutely irresponsible and an ugly waste of time, although quite typical, for politicians to pass laws that are not going to be enforced.