Minister of State for Addiction Services Brenda Locke says she is considering a call for more restrictions on smoking in BC and the closure of all ventilated smoking rooms in pubs and restaurants. Locke's qualifications to be the Minister of State for Addiction Services are discussed elsewhere on this site.

Here is a story aired by CKNW radio on Airspace's response to this:

An anti-smoking group is skeptical the Liberal government will actually bring in new smoking restrictions.

Errol Povah with "Airspace Action on Smoking and Health" points out Labour Minister Graham Bruce over-ruled the Workers Compensation Board back in 2001 and allowed smoking rooms in the first place and he says the Minister for Addication Services has her own issues "and of course we all know Brenda Locke's history with the bar and pub associations and she was one of the biggest opponents and most vocal opponents of any and all bans on smoking and now she's telling us that the government's going to look at it?

"I'll believe it when i see it."

Povah says bar owners can be expected to vigorously fight any move to shut down smoking rooms but says they should be closed.