NO-SMOKING ZONE SNUFFED

Council Drops Proposed Ban Near Twin Lakes; Loiterers To Be Targeted
Instead

Council has dropped plans to create a no-smoking zone around Twin
Lakes Secondary School.

Instead, the city will attempt to discourage students from
congregating near the school entrance by installing No Loitering, No
Littering and No Stopping signs on three streets near the school.

City staff had prepared a bylaw for Monday night's council committee
meeting that would have made it illegal for anyone to smoke on
Jamieson Street, Birch Street, Lexington Avenue and Cindy Lee
Crescent, as well as parts of Barrie Road and Westmount Drive.

The no-smoking zone was endorsed by Coun. Ralph Cipolla, who said
homeowners closest to the school entrance were being subjected to foul
language, loss of privacy and garbage.

As well, large groups of students on the street were a customer base
for drug dealers, Cipolla told council.

"Cars drive in, stop, chat, sell drugs and leave," he
said.

But other councillors said the city was coming down too hard by
imposing so many prohibitions on one school.

"It bothers me when we single out one high school in the city," said
Coun. Paul Spears.

And the smoking prohibition would have affected everyone on the
streets or sidewalks, not just students, Spears noted.

Coun. Carl Garland agreed the city was taking a very restrictive
approach, and questioned why a no-smoking zone would stretch as far as
Westmount Drive.

Coun. Tim Lauer said the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, whose
responsibility it would have been to enforce the restriction, lacks
the resources to be effective.

"They'll show up the first week, then disappear."

It makes more sense to install the No Loitering and No Stopping signs,
which are enforced by police and bylaw officers, said Lauer: "With
anti-loitering, people have to keep moving."

Spears agreed with Lauer that the littering and loitering restrictions
will solve the problem.

The resolution passed by council calls for four No Loitering/No
Littering signs on Jamieson, Birch and Lexington, as well as eight No
Stopping (between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.) signs on the three streets.

The total cost of the initiative is pegged at $1,820.