The City of Brantford is looking into the possibility  of an outdoor smoking ban. This follows a trend seen across the country. Woodstock passed a ban a couple years ago, and the city of Toronto and the province of British Columbia have been recently reported as looking to follow suit.

At a recent city council meeting, an outdoor smoking ban at the downtown transit terminal was discussed, and the city is considering expanding the ban to other public areas. Other than at the downtown terminal, the ban would not directly affect Laurier buildings. Recent bans across the country have included areas around playgrounds, municipal buildings, and outdoor patios at restaurants.

A 2010 Waterloo University study showed that the Woodstock bylaw been widely accepted by the community, and that it did not deter people from going to these areas. The Toronto Health Board is also looking at including public squares as part of its proposed ban.

Since many provinces and cities around the country have already passed similar bylaws, the trend will only continue, with each new bylaw looking to cover a little more territory