Saskatoon city council adopts tougher smoking rules

Smokers will have fewer places to light up starting Jan.1 after Saskatoon city council voted to toughen up the smoking bylaw.

Councillorsapproved anamendment bylaw that will limit where people can smokein the city.

Specifically, it will be illegal to smoke outside in public places owned by the city.

Councillor Charlie Clark supported the bylaw saying the evidence provided by health organizations shows these types of bans help reduce smoking.

"Public parks are a place where people gather, there's people congregated in baseball stands and all those kinds of things where it does have an impact from second hand smoke," Clark said.

"Smoking has been identified as one of the biggest causes of death in our society."

He said he has heard overwhelming support from his constituents.

The city has had a smoking ban in place forpatios for 11 years.

It's not the only smoking-related bylaw coming to council.

Another report coming up before year end further amends the bylaw to prohibit e-cigarettes in all places where smoking is currently not allowed. The prohibitions, as with smoking, will not allow for an exemption in vaping shops.