Saskatchewan smoking rate dropped after ban 10 years ago

In the ten years since indoor public places went smoke-free by law, Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer has seen tangible results.

Smoking used to be everywhere, Dr. Saqib Shahab observed.

On January 1, 2005 bars, restaurants and other enclosed public places could no longer allow their patrons to light up. They had to go outside for a puff.

"It's not pleasant to smoke in winter," said one young smoker, Shawn Jobin. "I smoke almost half as much as I do in summer, because I have to put on my coat to go outside."

While business-owners feared customers would be driven away, Shahab saw a positive effect.

"Smokers, ex-smokers, non-smokers, they all would go more frequently to restaurants and other public places," Shahab recalled, "because they would say the atmosphere is much better."

It set off a chain reaction. Some workplaces voluntarily became smoke-free. Then in 2009, the legal ban was extended to workplaces in general (with a few exemptions, such as designated smoking rooms for residents and visitors of long-term care homes.)

Fewer smokers, savings in health care

A decline in smoking rates has followed. A decade ago, more than one in four people in the province were smokers. Now it's closer to one in five.

The numbers for teens and young adults are more dramatic, from 29 per cent ten years ago to around 18 per cent now.

The savings to the health care system are difficult to calculate, but undeniable, Shahab said. For instance, within a year of kicking the habit, the risk of heart disease is cut by half. Within ten years, the risk of lung cancer is also halved.

Still, more work lies ahead. According to Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan still has the highest rate of tobacco use among provinces.

Shahab supports efforts to discourage young people from picking up the habit, and to help smokers to kick theirs.

Coalition calls for further measures

Lynn Greaves of the Saskatchewan Coalition for Tobacco Reduction said her group wants to see a ban on flavoured tobacco, including menthol.

"Menthol is the ingredient that gets youth addicted because it makes it easier to smoke," Greaves explained.

The coalition would also like to see outdoor areas where people crowd together become smoke-free. Although smoking is banned within three metres of the doors of public buildings, the coalition has heard from some people who want the buffer zone extended.

Greaves also said Saskatchewan remains one of only two provinces in Canada that does not licence retailers to sell tobacco products.

"This is a terribly deadly and addictive product," Greaves said. "There should be some restrictions on who and where it can be sold."