Vancouver could soon be the first city in Canada to ban smoking on its beaches.
The Vancouver Park Board is in talks with local health authorities about a possible beach smoking ban.
"What they would be doing is gathering information on potential and logistics and then coming back to us with a recommendation,'' said Vancouver Park Board commissioner Korina Houghton.
"I don't expect that that would happen anytime sooner than the fall or the potentially the winter,'' she said.
Meanwhile, the prospect of further restrictions is getting a mixed reception from some radio talk show callers.
"I think the restrictions are just getting obscene,'' said one caller, who phoned in to CKNW's The Bill Good Show, Monday.
"If there's no one around for miles, why should I stop smoking?" said another.
But a parent, who spoke to CTV, was more receptive to the idea. "I think [smokers] have rights and they should be able to smoke on the beach, but I would rather have a choice too of not being around it if I could,'' said Brooke Heximer.
Still, before any ban is imposed, Park Board officials have still to consider how it will be enforced.
"That's the question - is this a self-enforcing bylaw?.....or do we have people going around and giving them tickets, and if we do, how do you get people to pay those tickets?" said Houghton.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Reshmi Nair.
