With the attention of National Non-Smoking Week slowly fading, one has to give credit to the B.C. government for providing smokers with nicotine replacement products at pharmacies or by mail.

The Union of BC Municipalities passed a resolution last year calling for a province-wide ban on smoking outdoors.

If this includes private properties then most people will not face the dangers of being exposed to second-hand smoke from tobacco products.

Now this raises the question of what government will do to protect citizens from an equally dangerous smoke, wood smoke, which is referred to as the new second-hand smoke.

As wood smoke contains similar chemical compositions as tobacco smoke and has similar health effects - linked to heart and respiratory diseases and lung cancer - it should also be banned province-wide.

However, eliminating these toxic wood smoke emissions in neighbourhoods falls under the jurisdiction of municipalities, and here on the Lower Mainland these powers have been transferred to Metro.

But in order to implement a bylaw (which protects people from breathing health-hazardous wood smoke) Metro needs the public voice.

Please e-mail Metro at regulationenforcement@metrovancouver.org and request that wood smoke emissions in neighbourhoods be outlawed in order to reduce human suffering.

Brie Oishi Port Coquitlam