Smoke-free petition gathers 700 names in first week

In its first week of blitzing the Sault, the 100% Smoke Free Task Force has collected almost 700 signatures.

The petition, aimed at getting City Council to prohibit smoking in all enclosed public places by May 31 of next year, is being distributed at shopping malls, restaurants, and medical and dental offices.

It can also be signed at SooToday.com, by clicking here.

Ward 6 Councillor Peter Vaudry told a task force meeting today that about 530 signatures were collected during the first week, in addition to more than 160 signed at SooToday. To see the current number of SooToday signatures, please return to our home page and look beneath the Laird Raceway banner.

Vaudry is aiming for at least 10,000 signatures by Oct. 22, when the petition will be presented to City Ccouncil.

They're watching you, Sault Star

The 100% Smoke Free Task Force is working in conjunction with a wide range of health-advocacy groups, including the Algoma Health Unit, Algoma District Medical Group, Algoma West Academy of Medicine, Canadian Cancer Society, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Group Health Centre, Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Sault Area Hospitals, Sault Ste. Marie & District Dental Association, Seniors' Health Advisory Council, Take Heart Algoma, The Lung Association, and the YMCA.

Task force members decided Tuesday to be more aggressive in responding to any erroneous information contained in editorials and letters to the editor of the Sault Star.

Vaudry recommended that no false claim in the newspaper should go unchallenged. Appropriate agencies will be asked to respond, beginning with a recent editorial that claimed risk from tobacco smoke can be prevented by proper ventilation.

No smoke. No mirrors. Just the news.

To join the growing number of Saultites who use SooToday as their home page, just click on the 'home' link at the top left of this page, then click on the 'make my homepage' button at the page bottom.