BY RICK PUSIAK
As expected, the City of Greater Sudbury will soon be smoke free.
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City council unanimously passed a motion Thursday night that will see a 100 per cent ban on smoking in public places and workplaces as of May 31.
As part of the motion the elected officials also endorsed a phase out of smoking in ventilated rooms at bingo halls in May of 2004 Â? something that could have a big impact on revenues directed from the halls to local charities.
Mike Orser, the owner of Bingo Country, was allowed to make a final pitch to the elected officials before the final vote.
He purchased Bingo Country in May for $1.5 million.
Orser reminded the politicians about the huge amount of money that flows from the halls to charities and the detrimental effects anti-smoking legislation has had on bingo halls in other Ontario communities.
Â?Sixty per cent of every dollar thatÂ?s taken into a bingo hall goes to charities,Â? said Orser.
Â?In 2001, the charities raised $5.4 million, $25 million over the last five years.Â?
He added local municipal government benefited to the tune of slightly over $600,000 last year and $3 million over the last five years.
Wages at bingo halls added up to $1.7 million in 2001, he said.
Â?(Revenues) are helping the food banks, theyÂ?re helping the soup kitchens, theyÂ?re helping the Big Brothers, the Big SistersÂ?sports,Â? said Orser.
He explained other areas that have gone 100 per cent smoke free have seen a 40 to 50 per cent decrease in charity revenue.
Â?We wish they all didnÂ?t smoke, but, unfortunately, 70 per cent of our customers smoke,Â? said Orser.
ItÂ?s estimated eight per cent of the local population plays bingo.
Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, was also allowed to present a final few words on the tobacco issue.
Â?Simple facts. YouÂ?ve got a killer really in your community. YouÂ?ve got the authority and the responsibility to deal with that killer, that Class A known-to-cause-cancer-in-humans carcinogen, and you have eight out of 10 Sudburians that support that decision and that authority.Â?
Sutcliffe then made reference to the Oct. 21 edition of a McLeanÂ?s magazine report that put Sudbury at the bottom of health conscious communities in Ontario.
Â?We were called cellar dwellers with regards to our health status,Â? said the medical officer of health.
Â?I think and truly believe that this decision that I think will be made this evening will actually change those statistics around and never again will we be called cellar dwellers, from a health statistics perspective, in Sudbury.Â?
After the unanimous vote the past president of the Ontario Division of Cancer Society, Helen Ghent, told Northern Life she was absolutely ecstatic.
Â?IÂ?m so proud of our council,Â? said Ghent.Â?In the end nobodyÂ?s going to lose.Â?
