Toronto's City Council imposed the toughest antismoking law in North America in March, making it illegal to smoke anywhere in the city's 4,500 restaurants, bars or nightclubs. The only exception was for establishments with an enclosed, separately ventilated room, which few businesses could afford.
Toronto's usually polite and law-abiding citizens revolted. Venues that once had well-designated nonsmoking sections covering at least half their seats became hazy with cigarette smoke.After six weeks of intense lobbying against the new law, largely by the restaurant industry, the council granted smokers a temporary reprieve on April 15. Now, establishments that seat more than 80 people are allowed to designate 10 percent of their space for smokers. Smaller restaurants are allowed up to 25 percent.
"We were getting calls from all over the world with people asking us, `Can you smoke at all in Toronto?"' said Paul Oliver, president of the Ontario Restaurant Owner's Association. "At least now we can say yes."
To make sure current restrictions are followed, the city has hired extra enforcement officers. While both owners and patrons can be fined up to $3,600 in United States dollars, most of the 50 tickets given out so far, with fines of $150 or less, have been to restaurant and bar managers.
The 10 percent space for smokers will not last, however. The new law says that by Jan. 1, 2000, all bars and restaurants, except for those with fully enclosed rooms, will have to be smoke-free.