Breathe Easy Muskoka

Smoke-Free By-laws

UBM Claims Economic Impact

• Sales down by 15.9%

• Tips down by 25%

• Loss of staff

• Where did these statistics come from?

Ontario restaurant hotel and motel survey

• Biased

• Poor wording

• Respondents not random

• Not a neutral scientific body

• Asks for opinion not actual financial statements

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

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

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

• Need for a level playing field

• Exempt bars

• Designated smoking rooms

Keep the current by-laws

• Many are complaining

• Survey reveals need for by-law

• Smoking areas are not protecting health

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

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

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 Scotia’s 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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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