Welcome to the website of the Ottawa Council on Smoking and Health.

We are a volunteer organization that aims to:

• create a social environment where non-smoking is the norm
• assist in establishing smoke-free environments
• prevent youth from starting to smoke
• encourage smokers to quit
• advocate for better smoking cessation resources.

We were established in 1978, making us one of the oldest Councils on Smoking and Health in Ontario. We are one of 64 local councils that make up the Ontario Tobacco-Free Network.

These are exciting times in tobacco control. In 2006, the Province of Ontario adopted a 100% smoke-free law for all public places and workplaces. In 2007, the Government of Canada amended the Non-smokers' Health Regulations by banning smoking rooms in workplaces under federal jurisdiction. In 2008, the Province of Ontario implemented a ban on powerwalls. These large tobacco displays located behind the cashier in convenience stores are now a thing of the past. Locally, many hotel chains, the Ottawa International Airport, the Queensway Carleton Hospital, and the Montfort Hospital have successfully introduced 100% smoke-free policies.

The issue of second-hand smoke in apartment buildings, condominiums, townhouses, and other housing units is gaining momentum. Individuals and families are increasingly aware and concerned about involuntary exposure to second-hand smoke seeping in from other units. We believe that people should have the choice to live in buildings with no-smoking policies.

Landlords have the legal right to adopt no-smoking policies for their residential buildings, including private units. Developers can legally declare new buildings 100% smoke-free from the outset. For more information, see A Landlord's Guide to No-Smoking Policies in Ontario. It can cost thousands of dollars to clean and repair a unit formerly occupied by a heavy smoker compared to a unit in which a tenant did not smoke. Other benefits include reduced risk of fire, lower insurance rates, and fewer complaints from tenants about involuntary exposure to second-hand smoke. See Smoke-free Policies Make Good Dollars and Sense: The Business Case for Smoke-free Multi-unit Housing

Join us if you support smoke-free initiatives!