Public will make B.C. smoking ban work: health official

A senior British Columbia health official says enforcement of the province's new smoking regulations will be driven by complaints from the public rather than by government workers.

The new rules, which take effect at midnight Monday, outlaw smoking rooms and ban smoking near workplace doorways, open windows and bus shelters in B.C.

In Vancouver, smoking will also be banned on outdoor patios, a move that puts pressure on the restaurant sector, where owners will face fines of up to $2,500 if they are found to be not enforcing the laws.

However, Nick Losito, a regional director of health protection with the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, said fines will be levied in response to complaints from members of the public rather than from provincial enforcement officials.

"It's not like we have a roving pack of smoking police out looking for offenders," Losito said.

"Obviously, if we're at an establishment, restaurant or bar doing other inspections for food safety reasons, if we see a violation, we'll bring it to the attention of the operator at the time we're there," said Losito.

The province designed the new rules to discourage people from lighting up, and some people think they might have the desired effect.

"It will probably make me want to quit," said Nick Cardarelli, a bartender at the Cambie Pub in downtown Vancouver. "It's too much work to go outside."