The president of the Saskatchewan division of the Canadian Cancer Society is pleased with a new Health Canada study that shows Saskatchewan's smoking rate to be the lowest ever recorded.

Dolores Herring, of Weyburn, said she firmly believes Saskatchewan government legislation increasing tobacco taxes and banning the display of tobacco products were huge contributing factors, as is the move toward smoke-free public places.

Until the province imposes a ban on smoking on public places, which Herring said is probably coming, each municipality makes that decision for itself. Weyburn could help the effort to cut smoking if it voluntarily banned smoking in public places, she said. Weyburn city council recently decided not to enact any bylaws that have more powers than are legislated by the provincial government, and will move by their time-line.

A petition circulated in Moose Jaw will force a plebiscite as part of the fall civic election there, said Herring.

The recent survey for 2002 showing Saskatchewan smokers dropped to 21 per cent in 2002, down from 25.4 per cent in 2001 when it had the fourth highest smoking rate in Canada. The largest group of smokers, the 20-24 year age group, has also decreased to 34 per cent from 37.8 per cent.

Only two provinces now have smoking rates lower than Saskatchewan: Ontario and B.C., at 20 per cent and 16 per cent respectively. According to the Saskatchewan Coalition for Tobacco Reduction, those two provinces have more extensive bans on smoking in public places and have implemented other "best practices" in tobacco control.

The coalition said Saskatchewan's requirement to hide tobacco in stores where children are served was highlighted at the World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Finland last week.