Legislation governing tobacco use in Ontario’s retirement homes

ABSTRACT

Legislation banning smoking in public places is a key component of comprehensive tobacco control programs, yet residential facilities for aging adults are often exempt from such legislation. In Ontario, Canada, provincial legislation does not comprehensively safeguard retirement homes’ residents and staff from tobacco-related health and safety concerns. This study provides a descriptive analysis of municipal-level bylaws in order to begin understanding the regulatory context of tobacco use in retirement homes in the Province. A stratified random sample of retirement homes (n = 75) was selected. A rubric was developed highlighting various components that a model policy would include, to allow for the independent review of municipal-level bylaws governing these 75 homes. Results indicate that 75% of retirement homes were located in areas without municipal-level tobacco legislation that addressed retirement homes. The remaining 25% (n = 19 retirement homes) were governed by eight different municipal-level bylaws, all of which lacked in overall comprehensiveness. Amending Ontario’s regulatory framework to eliminate loopholes and include retirement homes, as well as the creation and modification of municipal-level legislation, will aid in safeguarding smokers and nonsmokers from the dangers of tobacco-related risks, including secondhand smoke, fires, igniting cigarettes while connected to oxygen, burns to skin, and damage to clothing and property.

KEYWORDS:

• aging populations
• legislation
• retirement homes
• tobacco use