Smoke-Free Summer Fun
Summertime means outdoor family fun in the fresh air. Cigarette smoke and vape clouds can hurt our health and make it less fun for those enjoying the beauty of nature. Second-hand smoke harms everyone. It can cause breathing problems, cancers and heart disease. Pregnant people, babies and children are the most vulnerable. Carbon monoxide from second-hand smoke easily passes through the placenta and affects young, developing lungs and hearts. Vape clouds are not harmless water vapours but instead are chemical aerosols that carry suspended particles and trace metals that can be inhaled deeply into the lungs. Beyond health concerns, when smoking or vaping is seen regularly, children and youth see it as usual, routine behaviour. Exposure to smoking and vaping in places where they play increases the likelihood of them starting to smoke or vape themselves. Ontario has laws to reduce smoking and vaping in many public spaces. These laws apply to both indoor and outdoor areas and are in place to protect you and your family.
In Ontario, under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017, it is against the law to smoke or vape in many outdoor areas, including around publicly owned sports fields and spectator areas, playground equipment, and where food and drink is served. People who smoke commercial tobacco or vape in these areas may be fined $305.
Cigarettes and vapes are not the only problem; cannabis and shisha (hookah/waterpipes) blended with tobacco produce harmful second-hand smoke too. Wherever it is against the law to smoke or vape, it is against the law to smoke or vape cannabis or to use a hookah to smoke tobacco shisha.
These laws keep public spaces safe for everyone. They protect you and your children from harmful second-hand smoke and vapour, and promote smoke-free and vape-free living to children and youth. If you see someone smoking or vaping where it is not allowed, you can report it. Call or email the Tobacco Enforcement Team at the Middlesex-London Heath Unit.
- 519-663-5317 ext. 2673
- smokefreeinfo@mlhu.on.ca
Visit www.healthunit.com for more information.
If you or someone you know want to quit smoking or vaping, please visit www.dontquitquitting.ca.
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Preventing Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in the Community. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/secondhand-smoke/community.html
Government of Ontario. (2026). Where you can’t smoke or vape in Ontario. https://www.ontario.ca/page/where-you-cant-smoke-or-vape-ontario
Health Canada. (2024). Second-hand smoke. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/smoking-tobacco/health-effects-smoking-second-hand-smoke/about.html
HealthLink BC. (2024). Harmful effects of second-hand tobacco smoke and vapour. https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc-files/harmful-effects-second-hand-tobacco-smoke-and-vapour
Jacqueline Eckert, RN, Public Health Nurse, Middlesex-London Health Unit
