Alberta butts out

Legislation banning smoking in public places could come into effect in 2008

Alberta is banning smoking in all public places and work sites.

Premier Ed Stelmach's Conservative caucus voted behind closed doors to develop legislation that will also ban tobacco sales in pharmacies and on post-secondary campuses and outlaw promotional cigarette displays in retail stores.

The legislation will be introduced before the end of the spring session and will be voted on in the fall. The law isn't expected to come into force for another year and a half.

The legislation will replace the Smoke-free Places Act, which requires Alberta municipalities to prohibit smoking in public places accessible to minors.

Several former health ministers under former premier Ralph Klein, tried and failed to bring in a workplace smoking ban.

Many communities, such as Lethbridge, Edmonton and Calgary have passed strong smoking bans, but there are still many towns where people can smoke in public and at work.

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