Butt out at Vancouver parks and beaches

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Parks are busy again this weekend thanks to the beautiful long weekend weather. But remember, if you smoke, you can’t light up at Vancouver parks and beaches.

The Vancouver smoking ban is now in entering its second summer, while it’s the first summer for the Metro Vancouver ban, which includes 22 regional parks.

Aaron Jasper with the Vancouver Park Board says they are happy with the success of the bylaw so far.

“Over the past 18 months since we brought the program in, we have issued 43 tickets, given out 61 written warnings, 20 verbal warnings and have had 7,000 incidents of verbal voluntary compliance — going up to people, pointing out the bylaw and people simply butting out.”

Jasper says the majority of the people who they ask do butt out.

“Most people when we go and talk to them — whether they’re about to light up or are already smoking — they understand it and they’re more than happy to comply and understand the reasons why we brought this [ban] in,” he notes. “As most people know, this was in part due to environmental impacts but also in terms of health.”

Enforcement of the ban is done by the Park Rangers, who have the ability to issue you a minimum fine of $250. Jasper adds the goal of the program has always been for people to simply stop on their own, not hand out tickets and collect fines.

The Park Board is most watchful of the smoking ban in Stanley Park, Everett Crowley Park and Jericho Beach.

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