Canada: Smoke Sales Forbidden at Pharmacies, Health Facilities Starting May 31  

Source from:  Winnipeg (Manitoba) Free Press (ca)  05/27/2013

Tobacco products will be banned for sale in health-care facilities and pharmacies as of May 31, the day changes to the province's Non-Smokers Health Protection Act come into force.

The new rules means tobacco or tobacco-related products cannot be available for sale in a health-care facility or where a pharmacy is located, as many pharmacies sell smoking cessation products.

Products that cannot be sold include cigarette rolling papers, cigarette tubes, cigarette filters, cigarette makers or pipes or anything used in association with tobacco.

The legislation allows for tobacco and tobacco-related products to be sold if the business constructs a separate retail area so that customers of the pharmacy cannot access the area where tobacco and tobacco-related products are supplied, except through a separate exterior doorway.

The legislation was introduced last year to further reduce smoking rates. It also prohibits the sale of tobacco products from vending machines.

This year, the province has said it will ban smoking at its 82 public beaches, including Grand Beach, and at the dozens of playgrounds in its provincial parks by the summer of 2014.

During the first year of the ban, park officials will only hand out warnings to offenders. By 2015, offence notices will be issued carrying a fine of $299. Enditem