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Nova Scotia — among the first Canadian jurisdictions 14 years ago to begin ticketing helmetless cyclists — is slated to become the first province to start ticketing helmetless skiers.

Effective November 2012, any skier or snowboarder caught on a Nova Scotia ski hill without a helmet will face a $250 fine, the Nova Scotia Ministry of Health and Wellness announced Tuesday.

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Critics, however, are already questioning how effective the law will be at keeping Nova Scotians out of hospital beds.

“Don’t get me wrong, I am strongly in support of helmets of all kinds … but this is feel-good legislation; it makes you feel good — but it doesn’t achieve any tangible results,” said Emile Therien, past president of the Canada Safety Council.

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“How are they going to enforce this?” he said, adding that a public education campaign would be more effective.

Roughly three-quarters of Nova Scotians already wear helmets on ski hills, but Tuesday’s legislation targets the “vulnerable” remainder, reads a provincial news release. Since 2000, 11 people have suffered traumatic brain injuries on Nova Scotia ski hills.