Hospital asking for ideas on enforcing smoking ban

Thunder Bay's Health Sciences Centre wants the opinions of city residents about its smoking ban — specifically, how to enforce it. The hospital is holding an open house Tuesday night to get input.

Ken Ranta, the director of health promotion at the Thunder Bay and District Health Unit, said a hospital on a 60-acre site poses challenges for enforcing smoking restrictions.

"Where we have some difficulty here is the distance to remove oneself from either the building proper, or the parking lot area, to off of hospital property," Ranta said.

He added that, at many other hospitals in Ontario, it's easier for smokers to get off the property to indulge in their habit.

Hospital vice president Scott Potts said the hospital gets some complaints about smokers on the property.

"Sometimes it's about having to see people smoking — and why they aren’t compliant with the policy," he said.

Potts said it's been difficult to enforce a no-smoking policy over the hospital's 60-acre property.

For more information about the meeting, phone (807) 625-5900 or go to tbdhu.com.