As Washington churns ahead with its no smoking policy in public places -- joining many other cities with the same policy -- much of eastern Canada now requires smokers to light up outside as one of North America's most restrictive bans went into effect on Wednesday. Smoking already has been banned from most workplaces across Canada but the ban in Ontario and Quebec now extends to public places in general, including bars, restaurants and schools. The ban also calls on employers to close designated smoking rooms and requires retailers to ask for identification from cigarette buyers if they appear younger than 25. Though similar bans exist in some American states, few are as restrictive as the bans launched in Ontario and Quebec, according to anti-smoking advocates on both sides of the border.

It seems that more and more local governments are taking the step to listen to the warnings of second-hand smoke and cancer warnings as well as other health issues. This smoking ban sets a safety policy to protect those that do not want to light up or do not want to breathe the smoke of others doing so while in public places. It sets off many conversational debates in public places like bars and nightclubs -- where smoking, drinking, and gathering with friends have always been the norm in night-life socializing scenes. Restaurant and club owners fear business will drop but statistics show that to be untrue in many areas like NYC and Seattle that have booming night-life socializing scenes.

I have friends and family members that work in night-life environments and they have welcomed these laws making it easier on them to continue doing their work with less health complications and colds. One friend actually moved to NYC to make her living as a bar manager when they first banned smoking in public places. As an entertainer and having many friends that are in the music industry, it opens up more places for us to perform that we otherwise would pass by because of the smoking inside. Of course not everyone is happy with the laws.