Cigar Weekly

Quebec's anti-smoking laws became stricter today by disallowing smoking in the workplace, but the Quebec Lung Association wants the province to go even further by introducing a full ban in vehicles carrying children.

The association launched its Clean Air For Kids campaign yesterday and is hoping that at least 5,000 Quebecers will sign an online petition that will be forwarded to MNAs, Premier Jean Charest and Health Minister Philippe Couillard.

Louis P. Brisson, executive director of the Quebec Lung Association, said: "People should really think of their kids and not of themselves ... kids have rights."

Marie Rochette, director of health promotion for the Quebec Health Department, said she understands the dangers of second-hand smoke but added: "A good debate needs to take place before we start thinking about legislative measures that intrude on people's lives.

"It's a question of 'where do we stop' after we've stepped over that line," Rochette said.

More than half of Canada's provinces have started either passing or debating this type of legislation.

Nova Scotia's law banning smoking in cars where children are passengers came into effect April 1.

The pioneering town to pass such a legislation was Wolfville, N.S., with a population of 3,800.

Wolfville Mayor Robert Stead said he has not received any negative feedback from local residents.

The Quebec Lung Association reports that exposure to smoke in a vehicle is especially problematic because passengers are in a confined space.

The association said second-hand smoke has been linked to bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, chronic respiratory symptoms and middle ear infections in children.

Exposure to second-hand smoke also increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, the association said.

Michelle Richards, 29, an ex-smoker, said it's "completely disgusting" to smoke with kids in the car.

"It's one thing to endanger yourself; it's another thing to not give somebody the right to choose. Kids can't tell their mom to stop smoking," Richards said.

Danny Portieous, and her husband, Mike, both 28, were strolling with their 2-year-old son Jules on Ste. Catherine St. yesterday. They said banning smoking in cars carrying children is an awful idea.

"I think cancer is the luck of the draw," Portieous said in between drags from her cigarette.

"I think it's a weakness in your genes. Either you're susceptible or your not."

"It's taking people's rights away to do whatever they want," Mike said.

"It's a good idea," said Marty Janneti, 28, a non-smoker, "but who's going to enforce it?"

He said police should be doing more to make certain that existing non-smoking laws are obeyed.

Janneti said he knows three or four bars that ignore the law and allow people to smoke.

The association's online petition can be found at www.pq.lung.ca

gvaliante@thegazette.canwest.com

Smoking by the numbers

Seventy-five per cent of Quebec's estimated 1.25 million smokers have tried to quit, averaging five attempts - four of them in the last year alone.

Six in 10 Quebec smokers are concerned about the impact their habit will have on their long-term health - the lowest percentage of any province.

In 2002, tobacco use accounted for $4.4 billion in direct

health care costs in Canada.

On average, Quebec children start smoking at 121/2.