British Columbia will join Ontario and Quebec in banning smoking in most public places, including schools and hospitals, Premier Gordon Campbell said Saturday.
Smoking on all school property, both public and private, will be prohibited by next September, Campbell told about 1,000 delegates at the B.C. Liberal party's convention in Penticton.
"We're not talking about what people can do in their homes, nor what people can do in their hotel rooms," he said. "But the time has come to put an end to smoking in indoor public spaces in British Columbia."
The public smoking ban will take effect in 2008, giving businesses and institutions time to implement the changes, he said.
Campbell said the move will help reduce the pressure on the healthcare system.
The anti-smoking measures follow the lead of other provinces, notably Quebec and Ontario, that have banned smoking in most public places.
Many B.C. municipalities already have bylaws in place that prohibit smoking indoors.
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