With the attention of anti-smoking week slowly fading, one has to give credit to the B.C. government for providing smokers with nicotine replacement products at pharmacies or by mail.
The Union of BC Municipalities passed a resolution last year calling for a province-wide ban on smoking outdoors. If this includes private properties, then most people will not face the dangers of being exposed to secondhand smoke from tobacco products.
Now this raises the question, what will government do to protect citizens from equally dangerous smoke – wood smoke – which is referred to as the new secondhand smoke?
Wood smoke contains similar chemical compositions as tobacco smoke and has similar health effects. It is linked to heart and respiratory diseases and lung cancer. It also should be banned provincewide.
However, eliminating these toxic wood smoke emissions in neighbourhoods falls under the jurisdiction of municipalities. Please email your municipality and request that wood smoke emissions in neighbourhoods be outlawed in order to reduce human suffering.
Brie Oishi