Breathe Easy Muskoka

1
Breathe Easy Muskoka

• Smoke-Free By-laws

2
UBM Claims Economic Impact

• Sales down by 15.9
• Tips down by 25
• Loss of staff
• Where did these statistics come from?

3
Ontario restaurant hotel and motel survey

• Biased
• Poor wording
• Respondents not random
• Not a neutral scientific body
• Asks for opinion not actual financial statements

4
Ottawa economic impact

• KPMG report
• Retail sales tax returns
• Increase in employment in the hospitality
  industry
• Bankruptcy and insolvency statistics for
  restaurants are lower than they have been in the
  past two years

5
Court cases

• 100,000,000 Law suit in Kitchener Waterloo
• Case ruled in favour of the municipality because
  of the Municipal act.
• Businesses could not prove a negative economic
  impact due to the by-law

6
UBM claims by-laws are not working in Toronto and
York

• Need for a level playing field
• Exempt bars
• Designated smoking rooms

7
Keep the current by-laws

• Many are complaining
• Survey reveals need for by-law
• Smoking areas are not protecting health

8
Staff smoke

• Second-hand smoke is the most dangerous part of
  smoking
• Employees who smoke and are exposed to toxic
  chemicals from second-hand smoke at work are at
  great health risk.
• Chemicals in second-hand smoke from many smokers
  accumulate and compound to hazardous levels

9
Health care costs

• One in five deaths are due to smoking related
  illnesses
• Health care costs are estimated at 9,165,128 per
  year for Muskoka due to smoking
• Quality of life is affected by tobacco smoke

10
Provinces recognize the hazard

• Newfoundland passed a province-wide ban in
  public places where children frequent
• B.C. passed a workplace smoking regulation that
  protects employees from second-hand smoke
• Nova Scotias Premier Hamm will introduce
  province-wide smoke-free legislation this spring
• In Dec 99 Quebec enacted bill 444 that restricts
  smoking in workplaces and restaurants
  province-wide.

11
Provinces are not doing enough

• Municipalities are leading the way
• By-laws are needed to protect everyone equally
• Through the Municipal Act The District of
  Muskoka has the power to make a difference.

12
Draft By-law

• The ad-hoc by-law committee created a draft
  by-law
• Protects people in public places and work places.
• Exempts bingo halls, private clubs and lodgings
  in hotels, motels and resorts.

13
Ottawa Sun Poll

• Conducted by corporate research group
• 29.5 one in three residents- are going out to
  bars and restaurants more often
• 16.9 are going out less often
• 53.3 no change

14
Huge new market

• Instead of spending time, energy and money
  battling the bylaw use the resources to tap into
  a huge market
• Based on Muskoka population of 150,000 there is
  the potential of 45,000 new customers

15
Attracting more business

• Ottawa may be attracting people from surrounding
  communities such as Hull who prefer to dine in a
  smoke-free environment
• Waterloo has attracted more business to
  Oktoberfest since it has gone smoke-free

16
Muskoka a healthy destination

• Tourist can enjoy the fresh air inside and out.
• Attract people who are health conscious.
• It is a whole new market

17
Focus on the positive

• Muskoka cares about the health of its citizens
• Our community will be setting a good example for
  our children
• Reduction in health care costs