I am a Musician, I also run a business promoting bands, artists and Venues that hire and support Live Music in Ontario – and I am a NON Smoker

The Provincial Liberals decision to ban smoking from patios at restaurants and bars has impacted non-smokers and Live Music Venues in a negative way. Where before smokers had their own “space” to go to have enjoy a beer and smoke, now they are forced to stand on sidewalks, in vicinity of entrance to venues, and non-smokers now have to not only walk through this to gain entry to a venue, but women also deal are starting to feel intimidated by a large crowd of alcohol consuming patrons who smoke.

A majority of NON-smokers polled feel that this Liberal policy is not only draconian, but has gone too far in regards to interfering with people’s rights. They feel feel that the policy has made a night out worse as they now have to deal with circumstances that before they didn’t have to – example: now they have to walk through crowds of smokers who are now relegated to parking lots and sidewalks outside the venues.

Venue owners are noticing a decrease in business at patios that once were filled in the short summer months with smokers enjoying an alcohol beverage – now those patios after 9pm are devoid of customers. The effect to the music industry – which we have all been made to believe the provincial government was trying to improve – has resulted in venues scaling back or cancelling live music.

We feel patios should be non-smoking until 9pm, then allow smokers to have use of them again. This will eliminate the entrance problem, encourage people to make their way out to Live Music Venues again, save tax-paying venues from going under and continue to employ musicians who count on this income to create their art and support their families.

At present this law is discrimination against a percentage of the population who do have rights and pay taxes – from smokers to venue owners to musicians. Not to mention that it is having a serious impact on an industry that allegedly the Liberal government wanted to bolster in what is supposed to be a democracy.

Sign The Petition:

https://www.change.org/p/ontario-liberal-government-repeal-non-smoking-patios-at-live-music-venues? recruiter=333532519&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive&utm_term=des-md-no_src-no_msg&fb_ref=Default