Canada's Yukon passes smoking ban

WHITEHORSE, Yukon, April 23 (UPI) -- The Yukon Territories has become become Canada's last territory or province to enact a ban on smoking in public places.

All but one of the 17 members of the Legislative Assembly in Whitehorse voted in favor of the ban, which also forbids smoking in a vehicle in which there are passengers under the age of 18, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., reported Wednesday. The measure goes into effect May 15.

The act also forbids retailers from openly displaying tobacco products or advertising in their stores, the report said.

The lone dissenter was Liberal Gary McRobb, who said it wasn't a solution to smoking.

"Certainly, most smokers would like to quit at the snap of the fingers but unfortunately that's not possible," he told the CBC. "And it will bring a lot of resentment toward government for being in the face of individuals."

Canada's other two territories, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, passed smoking bans in 2004 and only Nova Scotia has a similar ban on smoking in cars with children, the report said.