Child care facility

Skip to Content

North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit Logo North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit Logo Print

Contact Us
  • Public Health
    Services
    • Breastfeeding Clinic
    • Community Events and Farmers Markets
    • Dental Clinic
    • Family Health Information Line
    • Food Safety Certification Training
    • Healthy Babies, Healthy Children
    • Infection Prevention and Control Investigations
    • Inspection Results and Enforcement
    • Needle Syringe Program
    • Planet Youth Nipissing
    • Prenatal Classes
    • Private Drinking Water Testing
    • The Sexual Health Clinic
    • Vaccination Clinics
    • Vaccination Records
  • Health
    Topics
    • 2SLGBTQ+
    • Air Quality
    • Alcohol
    • Animal Bites
    • Beach, Lake and Pool Water
    • Breastfeeding
    • Cancer Prevention and Screening
    • Cannabis
    • Climate Change
    • Dental Health
    • Diseases
    • Drinking Water
    • Emergencies and Being Prepared
    • Farm Fresh Eggs
    • Flu/Influenza
    • Food Safety
    • Gambling
    • Hand Hygiene
    • Healthy Aging
    • Healthy Eating
    • Heat and Humidity
    • Home Health and Safety
    • Housing and Homelessness
    • Injury Prevention
    • Intimate Partner Violence
    • Mental Health
    • Naloxone
    • Pregnancy, Infant and Child Health
    • Perfluoroalkylated Substances (PFAS)
    • Physical Activity
    • Racism
    • Radiation
    • Reducing Weight Bias
    • Sexual Health
    • Sharps
    • Smoking, Vaping and Tobacco
    • Substance Use
    • Suicide Prevention
    • Vaccinations
    • Vision Health
  • Health Professionals
    and Partners
    • Camp Providers
    • Child Cares
    • Cooling Tower Property Owners and Maintenance Operators
    • COVID-19 Healthcare Providers, Hospitals and Long-Term Care
    • Designated Officers
    • Emergency Management
    • Group Home and Shelter Administrators
    • Health Care Professionals
    • Health Care Providers COVID-19 Vaccine Information
    • Healthy Aging Resources
    • Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes
    • Maternal Child Update
    • Municipal Resources
    • Needle Syringe Programs
    • Nutrition Resources
    • Ontario Naloxone Program (ONP) Distributing Agencies and First Responders
    • Personal Service Settings
    • Report an Overdose
    • Schools
    • Teaching Kitchen
  • Community Data
    and Reports
    • Child and Youth Health Data
    • Chronic Diseases
    • Environmental Health
    • Health Behaviours
    • Indirect Impacts of COVID-19
    • Infectious Diseases
    • Injuries
    • Mortality
    • Nipissing Parry Sound Public Health Atlas
    • Oral Health
    • Population Demographics
    • Reproductive and Child Health
    • Respiratory Dashboard
    • Substance Use Harms
    • Well-being and Mental Health
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Accessibility
    • Board of Health
    • Careers and Placements
    • Contact Us
    • Interview with Isabel Churcher
    • News and Events
    • Personal Health Privacy Policy
    • Programs and Services
    • RFPs and Tenders
    • 2024-2027 Strategic Plan
Search Button

Back To Top

Smoking and Tobacco

HomeHealth TopicsSmoking, Vaping and TobaccoSmoke-Free Spaces and the Law
  • Open new window to share this page via Facebook Facebook
  • Open new window to share this page via Twitter Twitter
  • Open new window to share this page via LinkedIn LinkedIn
  • Email this page Email

Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017

The Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 (SFOA, 2017) regulates the smoking and vaping of tobacco, electronic cigarettes, and cannabis to protect the health of the public, prevent people from starting to smoke or vape, and support quit attempts.

Find out how the SFOA, 2017 affects specific settings:

Workplaces - Lieux de travail clos

Community Recreational Facilities - Les installations de loisirs communautaires

Child Care Centres - Centres de garde d'enfants et services de garde en milieu familial

Government Buildings - Édifices et propriétés du gouvernement 

Hotels, Motels, and Inns - Hôtels, motels et auberges

Multi-Unit Dwellings - Habitations à logements multiples

Playgrounds - les terrains de jeu pour enfants

Enclosed Public Places - les lieux publics fermés

Residential Care Facilities - les établissements de soins en résidence

Restaurants and Bars - les bars et les restaurants (y compris les terrasses)

Schools - les écoles

Sporting Areas - les aires d’activités sportives

Signage

The SFOA, 2017 requires all workplaces and public places to post “No Smoking” and “No Vaping” signs at all entrances, exits, and washrooms of the smoke-free and vape-free areas. These signs are available at no cost. Signs can be ordered by calling the Health Unit toll-free at 1-800-563-2808, Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For sample signs and more information visit the Province of Ontario, Smoking or Vaping

Retail Training

A guide for retailers of tobacco or vaping products is available.

Guide for retailers - Guide à l’intention des détaillants

SFOA, 2017 - Retailer Resources

Flavoured Tobacco Factsheet - Produits du tabac aromatisés

Specialty Vape Store Factsheet - les boutiques spécialisées de vapotage

Specialty Vape Store Guidelines - Lignes directrices pour l’enregistrement en tant que boutique spécialisée de vapotage

Specialty Vape Store Application - Enregistrement de boutique spécialisée de vapotage

Tobacconist - les marchands de tabac

Tobacco Retailer Permit Application - Demande de permis de détaillant de tabac

Tobacco and Vapour Products Retailers Factsheet - les détaillants de produits du tabac et de vapotage

Enforcement

Tobacco Enforcement Officers conduct inspections, provide answers to questions, and handle complaints about the SFOA, 2017.
If you have any questions about the SFOA, 2017 or would like to make a complaint, call the Health Unit toll-free at 1-800-563-2808.

Enforcement of the SFOA, 2017 On or Near School Property

What is the role of schools?

Enforcement of the SFOA, 2017 on and near school property is governed by provincial standards and protocols, Health Unit policy and procedures, and in partnership with each school board and individual school administrators.

Schools use a progressive discipline approach when dealing with issues related to inappropriate student behaviour, including vaping or smoking on school property. Progressive discipline helps foster positive school climate by combining early and ongoing interventions to promote positive student behaviour.

Progressive discipline approaches may include interventions such as: assignments, services, student meeting(s) with school administrators, potential parental involvement, referral to counselling for cessation, addictions treatment and/or mental health, detention, suspension, or other.

Once a school has exhausted all internal progressive discipline and consultations in relation to ongoing SFOA, 2017 offences, the school administrator can involve the Health Unit via the Smoke-Free Ontario Act Notification Form (more info below) and work alongside the Health Unit on next steps.

What is the role of the Health Unit?

In partnership with school boards and individual school administrators, Tobacco Enforcement Officers enforce the SFOA, 2017 throughout the Health Unit region including on and near school property.

The Health Unit's Tobacco Enforcement Officers attend schools routinely in the districts of Nipissing and Parry Sound to ensure compliance with the SFOA, 2017 including compliance with smoking and vaping on or near school property (including smoking or vaping of cannabis), that smoke-free and vape-free signs are posted as required, and to assist school administrators and teachers in ensuring students do not have access to tobacco or vapour products from others.

When a school involves the Health Unit, the assigned Tobacco Enforcement Officer will follow-up with the school administrator to discuss education and enforcement options including:

  • issuing a formal warning in the event the Health Unit has not been involved with the student before and other factors including the age of the student and the determination of the school administrator that a warning is required; or
  • issuing a ticket (provincial offence notice) to the student due to the prior involvement of the Health Unit and other factors including involvement of other law enforcement agencies or willful and ongoing disobedience by the student.
The Tobacco Enforcement Officer will attend the school to meet with the school administrator and any staff person involved for a brief consultation prior to bringing in the student. The school administrator will remain for the meeting with the student. The Tobacco Enforcement Officer will formally identify themselves to the student, review the offence with the student ensuring the student understands the offence and the enforcement steps, answer any questions from the student and school administrator, and issue the warning or ticket to the student in the presence of the school administrator.

How can I involve the Health Unit if an offence on school property has taken place?

Contact the Health Unit by phone at 1-800-563-2808 or by email at environmental.health@healthunit.ca. You will be asked to complete a Smoke-Free Ontario Act Notification Form. This form requests basic information about the student, the offence, product(s) involved, and witnesses. It will be used by the Tobacco Enforcement Officer to connect with you to meet and determine next steps for the student (e.g., education, warning, ticket).

What do I need to know about tickets (provincial offence notices)?

A ticket, or provincial offence notice, is issued at the discretion of the Tobacco Enforcement Officer. The Tobacco Enforcement Officer will guide school staff through the process of completing a School Witness Report if a ticket is being issued. A high level of detail is required in the report to be able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the offence took place if the case goes to court. For staff and school administrators completing the School Witness Report, you acknowledge that you will be called as a witness in the event of a trial.

Young persons aged 12-15 are a defined category of offenders under Ontario's Provincial Offences Act and are not eligible to receive an out-of-court fine. If charged, they will be summonsed to court along with their parent/guardian.

Content adapted with permission from Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit.

Smoke-Free Bylaws

For support on creating a smoke-free bylaw in your area, please contact the Health Unit.

Smoke-Free Housing

Make your home smoke-free by visiting the Smoke-Free Housing Ontario website. Here, you will find information, tools and resources to support you, whether you are a tenant, a landlord, condominium owner, or housing co-op member. 

For additional information, you may also visit the Canadian Lung Association

Health Topics
    • 2SLGBTQ+
      Toggle Section 2SLGBTQ+ Menu
      • Committing to 2SLGBTQ+ Equity
      • Homophobia
      • Pronouns
      • Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression
      • When Someone Comes Out
      • Youth and Teens
      • Positive Spaces and Other Training
      • Resources
    • Air Quality
    • Alcohol
    • Animal Bites
      Toggle Section Animal Bites Menu
      • Rabies
    • Beach, Lake and Pool Water
      Toggle Section Beach, Lake and Pool Water Menu
      • Beaches
      • Public Spas, Pools and Hot Tubs
      • Harmful Algae Blooms
      • Swimmer's Itch
    • Breastfeeding
      Toggle Section Breastfeeding Menu
      • Using a Breastmilk Substitute
    • Cancer Prevention and Screening
      Toggle Section Cancer Prevention and Screening Menu
      • Sun Safety
    • Cannabis
      Toggle Section Cannabis Menu
      • Edibles
      • Cannabis and Pregnancy to Parenting
      • Cannabis and Youth
    • Climate Change
    • Dental Health
      Toggle Section Dental Health Menu
      • Caring for Your Child's Teeth
      • Dental First Aid
      • Early Childhood Tooth Decay
      • School Screening Program
      • Water Fluoridation
    • Diseases
      Toggle Section Diseases Menu
      • Acute Flaccid Paralysis
      • Amebiasis
      • Anaplasmosis
      • Anthrax
      • Babesiosis
      • Bird Flu
      • Blastomycosis
      • Botulism
      • Bronchiolitis
      • Brucellosis
      • Camplylobacter
      • Candida Auris
      • Carbapenemase Producing Enterobacteriaceae
      • Chickenpox
      • Cholera
      • C. Difficile
      • Cold Sores
      • Common Cold
      • COVID-19
      • Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
      • Croup
      • Cryptosporidium
      • Cyclospora
      • Diphtheria
      • Ear Infections
      • Eastern Equine Encephalitis
      • Echinococcus Multilocularis Infection
      • Encephalitis
      • E. coli (Escherichia coli) Infection
      • Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL)-Producing Bacteria
      • Fifth Disease
      • Flu/Influenza
        Toggle Section Flu/Influenza Menu
        • About the Flu Shot
      • Food Poisoning
      • Gastroenteritis
      • Giardia
      • Group A Streptococcal, Invasive (iGAS)
      • Group B Streptococcal Disease
      • Haemophilus Influenzae
      • Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
      • Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
      • Head Lice
      • Hemorrhagic Fevers
      • Hepatitis A
      • Hepatitis B
      • Hepatitis C
      • HIV
      • Impetigo
      • Kawasaki Disease
      • Legionella
      • Leprosy
      • Listeria
      • Lyme Disease
      • Measles
      • Meningitis
      • Meningococcal Disease, Invasive
      • Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
      • Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)
      • Molluscum Contagiosum
      • Mononucleosis
      • Mpox
      • Mumps
      • Mycoplasma Pneumonia
      • Norovirus
      • Oropouche Virus
      • Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
      • Paratyphoid Fever
      • Pertussis
        Toggle Section Pertussis Menu
        • Coqueluche - Foire aux questions
      • Pink Eye
      • Pinworms
      • Plague
      • Pneumococcal Disease, Invasive
      • Polio
      • Powassan Virus
      • Psittacosis/Ornithosis
      • Q Fever
      • Rabies
      • Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
      • Ringworms
      • Roseola
      • Rotavirus
      • Rubella (German Measles) and Congenital Rubella Syndrome
      • Salmonella
      • Scabies
      • Scarlet Fever
      • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
      • Shigella
      • Shingles
      • Sinus Infections
      • Smallpox
      • Sore Throat
      • Strep Throat
      • Swimmer's Itch
      • Syphilis
      • Tetanus
      • Thrush
      • Trichinella
      • Tuberculosis (TB)
      • Tularemia
      • Typhoid Fever
      • Upper Respiratory Infection
      • Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus (VRE)
      • Verotoxin-producing E. coli, including Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
      • West Nile Virus and Other Mosquito-Borne Diseases
      • Yersinia
      • Zika Virus
    • Drinking Water
      Toggle Section Drinking Water Menu
      • Lead
    • Emergencies and Being Prepared
      Toggle Section Emergencies and Being Prepared Menu
      • Cleaning up after a Flood
      • Drinking Water Disinfection Instruction
      • Emergency Kits
      • Food and Water Safety for Power Outages
    • Farm Fresh Eggs
      Toggle Section Farm Fresh Eggs Menu
      • Oeufs Frais De La Ferme
    • Flu/Influenza
    • Food Safety
    • Gambling
    • Hand Hygiene
    • Healthy Aging
      Toggle Section Healthy Aging Menu
      • Age-Friendly Communities
      • Every Step Counts
      • Volunteer
    • Healthy Eating
      Toggle Section Healthy Eating Menu
      • Community Groups & School Programs
      • Cooking and Food Skills
        Toggle Section Cooking and Food Skills Menu
        • Freezing Fruit and Vegetables
      • Find a Registered Dietitian
      • Food and the Environment
      • Food Insecurity
      • Get Cooking
      • Healthy Food for Life
        Toggle Section Healthy Food for Life Menu
        • Feeding Your Baby
        • Feeding Your Preschooler
        • Feeding Your School-Aged Child
        • Nutrition During Pregnancy
        • Nutrition Programs and Services for Older Adults
      • Healthy Recipes
        Toggle Section Healthy Recipes Menu
        • A Cut Above the Roast
      • Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program
        Toggle Section Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program Menu
        • Le Programme de distribution de fruits et légumes dans le Nord de l’Ontario
      • Food for Thought
    • Heat and Humidity
    • Home Health and Safety
    • Housing and Homelessness
      Toggle Section Housing and Homelessness Menu
      • Homelessness Factors
      • Homelessness Prevention
      • Housing is a Health Issue and a Human Right
      • Stigma and its Impacts
    • Injury Prevention
      Toggle Section Injury Prevention Menu
      • Concussions
      • Helmets
    • Intimate Partner Violence
    • Mental Health
      Toggle Section Mental Health Menu
      • 5 Ways to Well-being
        Toggle Section 5 Ways to Well-being Menu
        • Be Active
        • Connect
        • Give
        • Keep Learning
        • Take Notice
      • Mental Health Services
        Toggle Section Mental Health Services Menu
        • Pregnant, Postpartum and Families with a Baby
      • Postpartum Mood Disorders
    • Naloxone
      Toggle Section Naloxone Menu
      • Naloxone Training FAQ
    • Pregnancy, Infant and Child Health
      Toggle Section Pregnancy, Infant and Child Health Menu
      • Infant Feeding Survey
      • Parenting
        Toggle Section Parenting Menu
        • Caring for Baby
      • Pregnancy
    • Perfluoroalkylated Substances (PFAS)
    • Physical Activity
      Toggle Section Physical Activity Menu
      • Active Transportation
      • Physical Activity Resources
        Toggle Section Physical Activity Resources Menu
        • Exercise Class Schedule
        • Virtual Exercise Classes
    • Racism
    • Radiation
    • Reducing Weight Bias
      Toggle Section Reducing Weight Bias Menu
      • Body Positivity
    • Sexual Health
      Toggle Section Sexual Health Menu
      • Birth Control
      • Men’s Sexual Health (Guys into Guys)
        Toggle Section Men’s Sexual Health (Guys into Guys) Menu
        • Santé sexuelle chez les hommes : pour les hommes qui aiment les hommes
      • Preconception Health
      • Pregnancy Testing and Options
      • Sex After Having a Baby
      • Sexually Transmitted Infections
    • Sharps
      Toggle Section Sharps Menu
      • Safe Sharps Handling and Disposal
    • Smoking, Vaping and Tobacco
      Toggle Section Smoking, Vaping and Tobacco Menu
      • Quit Smoking
      • Arrêter de fumer ou de vapoter
      • Smoke-Free Spaces and the Law
      • Vaping and E-cigarettes
      • Vapotage et cigarettes électroniques
    • Substance Use
      Toggle Section Substance Use Menu
      • Drug-Related Stigma
        Toggle Section Drug-Related Stigma Menu
        • Let's work together to: Stop the shame. Stop the blame. Stop the stigma.
      • Healthy High - Risk-Taking Can Be Healthy
      • Methamphetamine Use
      • Opioids
      • Social Determinants of Health
      • Substance Use Retail Fact Sheets
    • Suicide Prevention
    • Vaccinations
      Toggle Section Vaccinations Menu
      • Adult Information
      • Child Care Information
        Toggle Section Child Care Information Menu
        • Vaccination Information for Parents
      • COVID-19 Vaccines
      • Hepatitis B Vaccine Information
        Toggle Section Hepatitis B Vaccine Information Menu
        • Informations sur le vaccin de l'hépatite B
      • Meningococcal Disease Vaccine Information
        Toggle Section Meningococcal Disease Vaccine Information Menu
        • Informations sur le vaccin contre la méningococcie
      • Publicly Funded Immunization Schedule
      • School Information
        Toggle Section School Information Menu
        • Informed Consent
        • Consentement éclairé
      • TB Testing
      • Tetanus, Diphtheria and Whooping Cough Vaccine Information
        Toggle Section Tetanus, Diphtheria and Whooping Cough Vaccine Information Menu
        • Adacel et Boostrix Vaccins
      • The Law, Exemptions, Suspensions and Exclusions
        Toggle Section The Law, Exemptions, Suspensions and Exclusions Menu
        • Suspension Process
    • Vision Health

Contact Us

Subscribe to this page

North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit Footer Logo

  • Website

    • About Us
    • Employment Opportunities
    • News
  • Links

    • Accessibility
    • Privacy
    • Sitemap
    • Staff Intranet
  • Resources

    Increase Contrast

Your lifetime partner in healthy living!

Copyright 2022 North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit

By GHD Digital

Browser Compatibility Notification

It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser. As a result, parts of the site may not function properly for you. We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience.