City takes aim at illicit hospital smokers

Three and a half years after Ontario banned smoking on hospital properties, illegal tobacco use remains an issue around Sault Area Hospital.

At today's City Council meeting, city prosecutor Jeffrey King will ask for new measures expected to boost the number of $250 tickets issued on or near the hospital grounds.

The city's current smoking bylaw prohibits smoking or vaping anywhere on hospital property, or within a nine-metre radius surrounding any entrance or exit of the hospital site.

As the bylaw is currently worded, only Algoma Public Health inspectors can enforce it.

"This has been an area of concern for some time and can use additional enforcement support," King says in a report to Mayor Provenzano and ward councillors.

At today's meeting, he'll ask that 11 Sault Area Hospital (SAH) security guards also be authorized to crack down on outlaw smokers.

"The additional bylaw officers would be exclusively funded by the SAH," King says.

"The additional enforcement may see a slight increase in ticket contributions to the city’s provincial offences revenue and prosecutorial responsibility that is anticipated to be negligible."

Today's City Council meeting will be livestreamed on SooToday starting at 4:30 p.m.