DAWSON CITY Yukon community leaders support a proposed territorial anti-smoking law with three exceptions.

At their annual general meeting Sunday, delegates of the Association of Yukon Communities (AYC) voted in favour of supporting a motion put forward by Dawson City to endorse the Smoke-Free Places Act.

Dawson Mayor John Steins said he first put forward an idea to ask the government to draft legislation but then moved to have AYC members support the bill unveiled by NDP Leader Todd Hardy in April.

'What this resolution is about is asking for support through some sort of legislation from a higher level of government,' Steins said.

'I would have been very disappointed if it had not passed.'

He said he was looking forward to having AYC members including 90 per cent of territorial towns, villages and cities work together with the Yukon government to get anti-smoking laws in the territory.

Steins said he understands why the Watson Lake, Mayo and Faro leaders voted against the proposal.

'They were voicing the wishes of their constituents. We can all make a judgment call over whether it was right or wrong but they were doing the right thing in terms of representing their constituents.'

The NDP's nine-page anti-smoking bill states no person shall smoke in any enclosed place that includes government buildings and vehicles, the correctional centre, day cares, schools, libraries, churches, health care facilities, movie theatres, pool halls, community halls, stores, restaurants and bars.

It goes on to state smoking can't occur on outdoor patios at restaurants or bars; that smokers can't light up within a prescribed distance of a doorway; and that managers of a facility where smoking is prohibited must tell people to butt out or refuse service.

Speaking to fellow AYC delegates, Faro Mayor Michelle Vanio said she could not support the the anti-smoking law because her constituents did not support it.

'Most people moved up here to escape southern legislation. Older people don't want you to tell them what to do.

'We had this debate. Interestingly enough, it was the non-smokers who said, Leave us alone,'' Vanio said.

'Our municipality wouldn't touch that with a 10-foot pole; if the Yukon government does it, so be it.'

Watson Lake Mayor Nancy Moore said she couldn't support the government's move to have a territory-wide smoking ban either.

'We voted against it mostly because we haven't consulted with the community and we have two business owners on council that I would prefer to have their opinion before we voted on it.

'It happens voluntarily in some of the businesses and there is a few smoking areas allowed in the community hall but it's up to the renter whether they want smoking or non-smoking,' she said.

Mayo Mayor Scott Bolton said he doesn't support the bill either because residents of his area prefer to, and have, handled the issue themselves.

'We fight our own battles. There's no smoking in Mayo; that's over, we've done it. We haven't told anybody; it's not a big deal. You can't smoke anywhere,' Bolton said.

'The restaurants did it on their own, the stores did it on their own, Yukon territorial government (YTG) has always had that and the village said no smoking at the new building and in none of our trucks.

'It's the principle of doing it ourselves; we don't need YTG for everything,' Bolton said.

Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell told AYC delegates Saturday his party supports a no-smoking rule in the territory.

'This was brought forward by the NDP, specifically Todd Hardy. I want to commend him for having the courage to do that.

'I support this legislation and my party supports this legislation,' he said.

'We did suggest that it go to public consultation. We believe that when things are going to affect so many people, there should be consultation,' Mitchell said.

Steve Cardiff, an NDP MLA, said he wanted to recognize Dawson City and Whitehorse for bringing in their own anti-smoking laws and hoped the Smoke-Free Places Act will receive Yukoners' support.

'I know everyone's not going to completely agree with this legislation. Both the government and the opposition supported this bill at second reading.'

Cardiff said the bill was brought forward in the interest of public health and workers' safety.

Robert Cunningham is a senior policy analyst with the Canadian Cancer Society.

He told AYC members a smoking ban, such as the one proposed in the Yukon legislative assembly, is a proven way to curb tobacco use and end the leading cause of preventable death smoking.

'(Smoking) is a massive epidemic. It's as addictive as heroin and cocaine. Most smokers want to quit, but they can't because of the addictive quality,' Cunningham said.

'Now we have almost all provinces and territories adopting 100 per cent smoke-free legislation. The Yukon is not on the list,' he said.

'(Yukon) does have a higher rate of smoking in Canada. Other jurisdictions have gone further faster.'

Cunningham said Yukoners should use the knowledge gained by other provinces and territories that brought in anti-smoking laws when implementing their own legislation.

He said the territorial government should consider banning the sale of tobacco in pharmacies, raise tobacco taxes and ban the display of cigarettes in stores.

'The Yukon currently has the lowest tobacco taxes in any western province or territory,' he said.

The government, if the law is passed, should avoid bringing in the law on Jan. 1 and aim to start enforcing the law at a warmer time, he added.

According to the cancer society, tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in Canada and is responsible for 30 per cent of all cancer deaths.

'More than 37,000 Canadians die each year from tobacco-related illnesses, including lung cancer, throat and oral cancer, heart disease, stroke and emphysema.'

Society information also states the Yukon has the weakest tobacco control strategy in Canada.

'The Yukon has the weakest tobacco control strategy of any province or territory, including a total absence of territorial legislation and the lowest tobacco taxes in northern and western Canada.

'The Yukon government should increase cigarette taxes by at least $15.80 per carton to match the rate found in Nunavut and the N.W.T., and should close the tax loophole that allows roll-your-own tobacco to be taxed at a lower rate than cigarettes.'