The Smoke-Free Ontario Act came into effect on May 31, 2006, prohibiting smoking in enclosed workplaces and public places, to protect workers and the public from the hazards of second-hand smoke. The Smoke-Free Ontario Act replaces the Tobacco Control Act and the Smoking in the Workplace Act.
As of January 1, 2015, it is illegal to:
- smoke on and around children's playgrounds and publicly owned sport fields and surfaces (e.g., areas for basketball, baseball, soccer or beach volleyball, ice rinks, tennis courts, splash pads and swimming pools that are owned by a municipality, the province or a post-secondary education institution)
- smoke on all bar and restaurant patios, whether covered or not (with an exemption for uncovered patios established by the Royal Canadian Legion - Ontario Provincial Command before November 18, 2013)
- sell tobacco on university and college campuses (this applies to buildings that are owned and areas that are leased by a post-secondary institution or student union)
For information on services that Toronto Public Health provides to prevent tobacco use, how to quit smoking as well as enforcement of the the Act, please visit the City of Toronto's website.
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