The Smoke-Free Ontario Act is designed to protect the health of all Ontarians by prohibiting smoking in all enclosed workplaces and enclosed public places as of May 31, 2006.

The Smoke-Free Ontario Act will replace two pieces of provincial legislation; the Tobacco Control Act (TCA) and the Smoking in the Workplace Act.

The Smoke-Free Ontario Act will:

• Ban smoking in enclosed public places and all enclosed workplaces as of May 31, 2006, including restaurants, bars, schools, private clubs, sports arenas, work vehicles, offices and entertainment venues, including casinos, bingo halls, bowling and billiard establishments;
• Eliminate designated smoking rooms (DSRs) in restaurants and bars;
• Permit residential care facilities to operate controlled smoking areas which are specially designed to ensure nobody outside the room is exposed to second-hand smoke. The law stipulates who may enter the area and under what conditions, as well as requirements for engineering design, function and maintenance of these areas;
• Protect home health care workers from second-hand smoke when offering services in private residences;
• Prohibit smoking on patios that have food and beverage service if they are either partially or completely covered by a roof;
• Toughen the rules prohibiting tobacco sales to minors;
• Prevent the promotion of tobacco products in entertainment venues; and
• Immediately restrict the retail promotion of tobacco products and impose a complete ban on the display of tobacco products by May 31, 2008.

Click here to download the set fines (pdf - 15KB)
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Read the Smoke-Free Ontario Act