Carleton University campus stores stop selling cigarettes

Carleton University's on-campus convenience stores no longer sell tobacco products, after a new province-wide ban came into effect in the new year.

Beginning on Jan. 1, the new Smoke Free Ontario restrictions prohibit the sale of tobacco on university or college campuses. This applies to buildings that are owned and areas that are leased by a post-secondary institution or student union.

Both the University of Ottawa and Algonquin College stopped selling tobacco on campus well before the ban came into effect, but at Carleton, the change took students like Brett Forester by surprise.

"I'm a smoker so I'm a little bummed out," said Forester after finding the by-the-counter-shelves at campus store Henry's bare. "I feel like you should be able to buy smokes wherever."

The new rules aim to help smokers quit and encourage young people to never start smoking. Smoking was previously banned in and around university campus buildings in 2008.

But some university associations say they relied on profit generated at the retail stores to fund some of their programs.

Graham Pedregosa with the Rideau River Residence Association, which provides services for the 3,600 Carleton students who live in residence, including programs that help students adjust to university life, said it will impact their bottom line.

"We reassessed our budget and it's about a $20,000 loss in profit," said Pedregosa. "You have $10,000 from tobacco sales alone. And another $10,000 from when people come in and buy tobacco."

Pedregosa says the association wants transitional funding from the province to help keep its programs running.

The new Smoke Free Ontario restrictions that went into effect on Jan. 1 also ban smoking on and around children’s playgrounds and publicly owned sport fields and surfaces.

Smoking is also banned at all bar or restaurant patios, whether covered or not. Royal Canadian Legions with uncovered patios opened before Nov. 18, 2013 remain exempt.