Pubdate: Fri, 22 May 2015
Source: National Post (Canada)
Copyright: 2015 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/wEtbT4yU
Website: http://www.nationalpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286
Page: A8

SMOKING DOWN THE SLOPES

Watching cyclists racing down the bike trails and skiers loading onto
the gondola at Whistler, B.C, it may not seem as though the scenic
resort would see much in the way of a lung-killing habit such as
smoking. But take a closer look and you can usually find a skier
lighting up on a chairlift or a snowboarder blazing in the glades.

In what largely looks like a PR stunt to correspond with World No
Tobacco Day, Whistler Blackcomb, the company that owns the ski resort,
announced last Friday it will be banning all forms of smoking on its
property as of the end of the month (employees will be given a
one-year grace period, provided they use designated smoking areas).
The ban covers all property owned by the company, in or out of doors,
including lifts, runs, bike trails, parking lots and patios.

In theory, the new policy goes much further than most municipal or
provincial smoking bans - even prohibiting the use of medical
marijuana and electronic cigarettes. It remains somewhat theoretical
because B.C. law and the town's municipal bylaws already prohibit
smoking in many public places and it is unclear if the resort actually
has the legal authority to penalize people for lighting up half a mile
from anywhere on the side of a mountain.

The company says the decision was motivated by a desire "to preserve
the pristine alpine environment our guests come here for," to create a
healthy environment for customers and staff and to prevent forest
fires. If that is indeed the purpose, the ban makes little sense.

Although smoking is certainly a health hazard, and can definitely lead
to forest fires, the evidence of risk is less clear in the case of
brief exposure to second-hand smoke in a well-ventilated area, such as
the top of a mountain. Nor is there evidence that second-hand vapours
from e-cigarettes pose any risks at all (they certainly don't cause
fires). In some cases, the new policy will simply be penalizing people
who legitimately need to use medical marijuana to treat their pain or
other ailments, not to mention the resort's hardworking staff, some of
whom just want to relax with a cigarette during their break.

Of course, as a private company, operating on its own property,
Whistler Blackcomb is within its rights to ban what it likes - in the
same way as its patrons are free to take their custom elsewhere.
Ultimately, consumers will decide. Those who wish may continue to
enjoy a smoke while barrelling down the slopes of Banff or elsewhere,
while those whose greatest pleasure consists in denying others theirs
can revel in Whistler's suffocating embrace.
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MAP posted-by: Matt