THUNDER BAY - A new piece of provincial legislation meant to protect non-smokers is producing a series of new concerns at a local high school.
The Smoke-Free Ontario Act, which was passed in accordance with the Cannabis Act on October 17, prohibits smoking or vaping within 20 metres of a school property.
At Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute, it’s causing students to stray from their old area on the sidewalk, and onto the roads of busy streets where adult supervision is not present.
“I just want the kids to be safe," said Debbie Hill, the mother of a Grade 10 student at Westgate.
"I’m scared somebody is going to be hit.”
Hill has seen students run across the road after picking her daughter up from the high school, which is along a four-lane roadway.
“We’ve seen students almost get smoked by vehicles trying to cross the roads,” Grade 10 student Mitchell Hannah-Gardiner said during lunch on Thursday.
Multiple students questioned the logic of having to go further down the road or cross a busy street, and how it prioritizes their safety.
Hannah-Gardiner had seen multiple near misses involving pedestrians. Another student claimed he was told by police officers he’d be ticketed for jaywalking.
The concern is shared by the Lakehead Public School Board. Education officer Jeff Upton said the negative impact is threefold, citing safety issues, attendance issues and neighbourhood relation issues.
Upton said although the school board is in favour of the law, he described it as a blanket ruling which doesn’t take into consideration each school’s characteristics.
“We were hoping there would be further consultation with schools, principals, teachers and parents,” Upton said. “That extra consultation didn’t occur, and this issue, which we had pointed out previously to them, is now impacting us.”
Although there is a stoplight at the intersection of James and Walsh streets, students say the expectation for students to use it is not realistic.
“If you think a kid is going to have enough patience to walk down the road, wait at a light, cross the road and come back… they’re just going to run across the road,” Hannah-Gardiner said.
Hill agreed, saying that students will take the quickest and easiest route to get across the road.
“[The legislation] was put in place to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke, denormalize smoking and vaping for youth, and make an environment for quitters that’s supportive,” said the Thunder Bay District Health Unit’s manager of injury prevention of substance misuse and tobacco Janice Piper.
Upton said the public board is drafting letters to the health unit and the appropriate provincial government ministries to see how it can be addressed by individual schools.
“Though we will always be compliant with the laws, we ask that those empowered take some time to pause and reflect on this particular issue to see how we can address it to each individual school it can apply to,” he said.
Hill hopes the school will find a better short-term solution, but isn’t optimistic.
“Maybe a designated smoking area would be the answer," she said. "But I can’t see a situation where the school is condoning smoking. I just think they should be allowed to go back to the sidewalk.”
