Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver declared itself the first smoke-free resort in B.C. in conjunction with World Tobacco Day on Saturday.

The B.C. provincial government has made a concerted effort in the last two years to prevent young people in particular from picking up the smoking habit, and Grouse Mountain is the largest employer of young adults on the North Shore.

Most smokers pick up the habit before the age of 18.

Grouse Mountain General Manager Michael Cameron says he feels a responsibility to be a leader, and wants to be part of the goal to make B.C. the healthiest region to ever host an Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Wearing 'kiss me, I don't smoke,' buttons, Grouse Mountain employees asked smokers on the mountain to hand over their cigarettes in exchange for a stick of licorice -- or at least a promise to make an effort to butt out for the day.

Health and Safety Manager of Grouse Mountain Anita Bhandari was one of the workers charged with enforcing the new rule.

"If there's any smokers out there, come and see me afterwards," she said to a group of visitors walking on the mountain. "If you crave a smoke, come find me, I'll probably be walking around ... I'll give you (more candy)."

The fastest growing segment of the province's labour force is 19-to-29-year-olds, according to the Canadian Cancer Society.

"An alarming number of young people are smoking in this age group, more so than any other group," said Cathy Adair, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for the Canadian Cancer Society, B.C. and Yukon Division.

"It seems sacreligious to light up when you're in such a beautiful environment," said Andrea Scott, public relations manager for Grouse Mountain.

But when one visitor was asked to butt out, he made it clear to Scott that he was agitated at the request.

"I have not smoked for the past two hours. Now I smoke regularly every five minutes or more," he said. "It's pretty difficult."

The province outlawed smoking in any indoor public space in March of this year, and earlier this month banned smoking in a vehicle in the presence of a child under 16 years.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's St.John Alexander