Region of Waterloo NoSmoking Bylaw

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Region of Waterloo No-Smoking Bylaw

• 4th Annual Stroke ConferencePanel Discussion on
  Smoking
• October 25, 2006

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Objectives

• Smoke Free Legislation development and
  implementation
• Waterloo Region experience
• Policy Analysis to assist in generalizing
  learnings

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Chronology of Key Events

• Municipal Act 1990 gave municipalities authority
• Bylaw development took 3.5 years (1993-1996)
• April 1993 a motion from Council to explore
  possibility of a tobacco control bylaw
• Public consultation and draft bylaw
• Final version supported in 6 of 7 municipalities
  in 1996
• Phased in from 1996 came fully into force Jan 1,
  2000
• Several amendments to clarify and strengthen

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Impact OverviewAn Emotional Issue

• Health effects of smoking and second hand smoke
• Involuntary exposure, no safe level
• Heather Crowe
• Protect children, workers, non smokers
• Business concerns- level playing field
• In Canada, only Victoria before us
• Silent majority
• Vocal organized opposition
• Very heated exchanges in Council and in bars

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Key Insights

• An organized community voice absolutely required
• Comprehensive and integrated approach required
  involving municipal departments (eg Police),
  community leaders (eg Oktoberfest), community
  groups (academic, health associations)- be
  prepared with alliances in advance
• Coordinated communication strategy (media,
  internal, external stakeholders)
• Communicate with affected proprietors

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Key Insights

• Develop tracking mechanism- calls, complaints,
  statistics
• Leverage community support (Ministry funded
  community group to do promotional media campaign)
• Staff training issues- safety, de-escalation,
  conflict resolution, working with partners and
  with police, debriefing support
• Sound and enforceable legislation
• Anticipate resistance

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Challenges

• Breaking new ground
• Very organized opposition
• Media will portray two sides to an argument as
  equally valid- look for controversy
• Fairness- sways Councillors and public opinion

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Number of Telephone Calls
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Do You Support Smoke-Free Public Places and Are
You One of the Silent Majority?
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(No Transcript)
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Policy Analysis(Resource Acknowledgment Dr. R
Spasoff)

• Policy efforts organized by society through
  collective or social action
• Public health goal in population health measures
  is to reduce risk of all, not just people at high
  risk focus on prevention
• Policy tools- regulation is the most heavy
  handed (eg others include incentives,
  disincentives, information, direct service)
• But effective

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Policy Analysis

• Role of NGOs
• Large, credible, expertise, free of government
  stigmatization, community connections, can take
  strong advocacy role
• Will take on tasks that government might find
  difficult- controversial eg harm reduction

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Policy Analysis

• Basis
• Values- what is important to decision makers
  (individual freedom, protection of vulnerable)
• Ideology- what is right (limited flexibility
  here)
• Politics- retain power, win friends, defeat
  opponents- often explains seemingly bizarre
  actions
• Evidence- science, necessary but not sufficient

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Policy Analysis

• Short time frame for political horizon- move
  forward in stepwise fashion
• Individual responsibility weighed against
  collective benefits- how visible/measurable is
  the benefit, how fearful are people of the
  consequences
• Policy making process is messy- look for windows
  of opportunity and be prepared
• Idealized steps- assessment of health issue,
  assessment of interventions, policy choices,
  implementation, evaluation

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Policy Analysis

• Multifaceted approach
• Research (clarity)
• Education
• Regulation (advertising, sales, public places)
• Taxes increased
• Cessation support

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How To Do Better

• Understand policy process
• Cultivate contacts in government
• Build coalitions
• Assemble evidence
• Identify effective advocates
• Use multiple approaches
• Be persistent