A proposal that would have made Greater Victoria parks, playgrounds, public squares and beaches no-smoking areas was defeated Wednesday by Capital Regional District directors 12 to 11.

Several CRD directors worried the ban was too wide-ranging and would be impossible to enforce, especially in remote areas.

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Juan de Fuca director Mike Hicks painted a picture of campers near Port Renfrew sitting around a campfire on the beach, Lucky beer and cigarette in hand.

“There’s more harm coming from the bonfire than there is from the cigarette and it won’t be enforced. There’s no health risk more than the fires,” Hicks said.

There were laughs around the board table when Hicks noted his sprawling district is where many people choose to go to get away from all the regulation in Greater Victoria.

Vancouver Island Health Authority staff would have enforced the proposed bylaw, mainly in response to complaints.

Metchosin Mayor John Ranns expressed concern about confrontations or people not going to parks because of the ban, which had the potential to make the park experience “much nastier.”

“If you can’t enforce it, if you don’t intend to enforce it, you shouldn’t be doing it.”

Victoria Coun. Ben Isitt tried but failed to get enough support for a bylaw change that would have banned smoking in public squares, playgrounds and sports fields but allowed municipalities to choose non-smoking beaches or beach areas.

Isitt said the change would mean the region could designate heavily used beaches such as Thetis Lake as non-smoking “without unreasonably interfering with the liberty of individual smokers to kill themselves” on more remote beaches.

Saanich Coun. Vic Derman said public support for the ban is strong, but designating areas of parks or beaches as non-smoking makes as little sense as the old policy of having non-smoking sections in restaurants.

The decision not to impose an outdoor ban surprised chief medical health officer Dr. Richard Stanwick, who said there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke.

The CRD led the nation in 1999 when it implemented its Clean Air Bylaw banning smoking in bars and restaurants. In 2007, when the CRD extended that ban to commercial outdoor patios, it was a provincial leader.

But by extending the ban to include beaches, parks and playgrounds, the CRD would not be breaking new ground, Stanwick said.

Several jurisdictions in B.C. — including Duncan, Nanaimo, Tofino, Powell River and Greater Vancouver — already ban smoking in parks and on beaches.

bcleverley@timescolonist.com

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HOW THEY VOTED

Directors against expanding the smoking ban:

Lanny Seaton, Langford

Denise Blackwell, Langford

Ben Isitt, Victoria

Paul Gerrard, Saanich

John Herbert, Oak Bay

David Howe, Southern Gulf Islands

Mike Hicks, Juan de Fuca

Jane Mendum, Highlands

John Ranns, Metchosin

Rick Kasper, Sooke

Geoff Young, Victoria

Carol Hamilton, Colwood

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Directors in favour:

Ted Daly, North Saanich

Vic Derman, Saanich

Wayne McIntyre, Saltspring Island

Marilyn Loveless, Sidney

Barb Desjardins, Esquimalt

Dean Fortin, Victoria

Marianne Alto, Victoria

Judy Brownoff, Saanich

Frank Leonard, Saanich

David Screech, View Royal

Alastair Bryson, Central Saanich