Smoke Free

Award-winning journalist and author Barbara McLintock uses the example of B.C.’s capital city, Victoria, as a case study to show how a region can not only pass legislation, but implement it and enforce it with such effectiveness that the compliance rate now exceeds 99 per cent. The story is a dramatic narrative in its own right, replete with details of harrowing public meetings, widespread early defiance of the law in drinking establishments, an often-hostile media climate and even death threats to those responsible for implementation and enforcement. But it also shows the benefits of enacting such a law, not just through improved air quality for patrons and workers but also how such a bylaw results in a reduced smoking rate in the population and growing popularity for the measure, even amongst smokers.

This book is a must-read for every non-smokers’ rights advocate, every public health official and every local or state legislator who’s exploring the idea of enacting smoke-free legislation. But it also makes compelling reading for anyone interested in a true-life insider drama that offers a close-up view of a controversial public policy.