Most Manitobans support extended smoking bans: survey

More than two-thirds of Manitobans support a ban on smoking in vehicles carrying children, suggests a new survey commissioned by the Manitoba Tobacco Reduction Alliance.

Nearly 80 per cent of those surveyed said they would support a ban on lighting up in vehicles when a child under the age of 18 is present, MANTRA said Thursday.

Another 67 per cent supported a ban on smoking in people's homes when children are present, the survey indicated, while nearly half supported prohibitions on smoking in all outdoor public spaces, including sidewalks, bus stops and parks.

There appeared to be no difference in the results between smokers and non-smokers when it came to bans where children were involved, MANTRA said.

Dr. Darcy Johnson, president of the Manitoba Medical Association, said that shows attitudes towards smoking are changing.

"I think one of the strengths of [the] survey was that the attitudes amongst smokers and non-smokers were the same. So even the smokers know that they have to butt out," he said.

Liberal MLA to introduce car ban

The group hopes the survey results will persuade the province to ban smoking in vehicles carrying children.

"It is not as though enforcement people [would] go out and actively pursue people in their vehicles to see if they are smoking with children," said MANTRA spokesman Murray Gibson.

"It would be a matter of routinely conducting this along with other checks that they do, whether it be for seatbelt use or other related traffic infractions."

Manitoba's NDP government said earlier this year that it's examining the issue, but Liberal MLA Kevin Lamoureux plans to force the government's hand by introducing a private member's bill on the matter in April.

"I would be very disappointed if the government wouldn't see the merit for it," he said Thursday.

A provincial spokesperson said Thursday that the government would rather educate than legislate — but officials did not reject the possibility of a ban.

Nova Scotia will become the first province in Canada to implement such a ban on April 1. Several other provinces, including Ontario and British Columbia, are also looking at similar legislation.

MANTRA also called on building owners to prohibit smoking within five metres of entrances, and on all residents to tell smokers to butt out in their homes.

More than half of MANTRA's survey respondents said they had personally smoked cigarettes at some point in their lives. About 20 per cent said they or someone in their household smokes every day or almost every day.

PRA Inc. obtained the survey results through a random telephone survey of 400 adult Manitobans. The results are considered accurate within five percentage points, 19 times out of 20.