The first casualty has been reported as a direct result of prison smoking bans. Broadcast News reported that an inmate was stabbed during a prison riot over smoking bans in a jail at Renous, New Brunswick.
http://www.forces.org/canada/can-news.htm

RCMP investigate disturbance and stabbing at Atlantic Institution,
Renous, N.B.

On November 3, 2004, District 6 RCMP were contacted by officials of the Atlantic Institution in Renous, N.B. regarding a disturbance inside the institution.

As a result, District 6 RCMP have commenced an investigation into the disturbance involving several inmates at the Atlantic Institution and the stabbing of one of the inmates. The 24-year old man was taken to hospital in Miramichi. He has since been released from hospital.
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/nb/news/Nov0404_084945.html

STANDOFF IN N.B. PRISON ENDS:
A standoff involving inmates at the Atlantic Institution in Renous, N.B., is over. One inmate was stabbed during the incident but his injuries are not life-threatening. On Tuesday night, 16 inmates refused to return to their cells. On Wednesday afternoon the warden read them the riot act and threatened to send in the prison's emergency response team. The dispute involved access to cigarettes and cable television. CANADA.COM
http://novanewsnet.ukings.ns.ca/nova_news_3589_20041104.html

DISTURBANCE AT ATLANTIC INSTITUTION UPDATE
RENOUS, N.B., November 3, 2004 - The inmates who had refused to go back to their cells have now complied with that order at 14:00 hrs, Wednesday, November 3, 2004.

The inmates went back voluntarily after the Warden of the Institution read the Riot Act. Member of the Institutional Emergency Response Team then moved onto the range and secured the area.

Negotiations went on all through the night with a group of 15 inmates who had been refusing to lock up since 22:30 hrs on Tuesday, November 2,  2004.

Since the beginning of the disturbance, the inmates had been confined to the common area of Unit 1 range. All other inmates were accounted for and the whole institution is locked down as per normal procedure.

One inmate has suffered non life threatening injuries and has been transported to Miramichi Region Hospital for treatment.

The RCMP is conducting an investigation.
http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/releases/atl/04/11-03b_e.shtml

Craving cons get creative since ban -AB

By CARY CASTAGNA, EDMONTON SUN Wed, October 19, 2005

Who needs du Maurier and Players when you can puff on pencil shavings, dry soup mix and banana peels?

That's exactly what inmates at the Edmonton Remand Centre have been doing to skirt the 13-month-old smoking ban, the Sun has learned.

"It's all related to the smoking ban," confirmed Dan MacLennan, president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, which represents remand centre guards and staff.

"It speaks to the fact that the (tobacco) ban must be working."

Since smoking was banned in all provincial prisons last September, creative inmates have been puffing on anything they can get their hands on - no matter how absurd.

The list of bizarre tobacco substitutes also includes orange and apple peels, grass, leaves, tree bark, toast crumbs, pepper and nicotine patches, said one inmate.

Tea bags are no longer available at the remand centre because the leaves were being smoked, said Andy Weiler, spokesman for the Alberta Solicitor General and public security.

Rolling paper isn't hard to come by, as prisoners use newspapers, wrapping from toilet paper rolls and pages ripped from jail-issued Bibles.

Need a light? That's not a problem, either.

Smokers behind bars fashion long slow-burning wicks by tightly twisting and braiding toilet paper.

They then light the wicks with a spark created from sticking staples, paper clips and nails into electrical outlets.

"It's tragic and it speaks to addictions," MacLennan said. "Visually, it speaks to my favourite episodes of The Three Stooges."

The union head said there has been some concern about the fumes from artificial cigarettes made from nicotine patches.

At least four guards recently filed health claims after experiencing breathing difficulties, MacLennan said.

Air quality was tested at the remand centre in September. Readings found the air was generally clean and contained only low levels of contaminants, Weiler said, adding the situation is being monitored.

Read

Smoke-free, safe psych wards are possible: expert... but alternatives must be available -AB

By ELIZA BARLOW, EDMONTON SUN October 19, 2005

An Alberta psychiatrist who's an expert in tobacco addiction says it's possible to ban smoking in psychiatric facilities without putting staff or patients at risk.

Dr. Charl Els said most evidence shows smoking bans on psych wards don't lead to an increase in violence - as long as patients get nicotine patches, gum, inhalers and, in some cases, smoking cessation drugs like Zyban.

"We do know they can go through it in a very comfortable fashion," said Els, speaking yesterday at a Capital Health lecture on helping patients cope with smoking bans.

Capital Health's ban on smoking on all its property came into effect Oct. 3. But the six smoking rooms remaining in the region - most of them used by psych patients - will be phased out with a target date of April to have them all shut down.

Els said the ban is being done more gradually for psychiatric patients because their physical addiction to smoking is stronger than that in the general population.

About 50% of psychiatric patients are smokers, compared to about 20% of the general Canadian population - and up to 90% of schizophrenia patients are daily smokers, said Els. Nicotine seems to relieve some of the effects of mental illnesses, he said.

Dr. James Talbot, associate medical officer of health for Capital Health, said the priority is to help as many patients as possible kick the habit before the rooms are shut down.

For those who aren't able to quit by then, some psych patients will leave the property to have a smoke like everyone else. Those in lockdown will need some type of escort to take them out for a smoke, said Talbot.

Dennis Anderson, founding chair of the Alberta Alliance on mental illness and mental health, yesterday urged caution in bringing a smoking ban into any psychiatric facility.

Anderson said many mental health patients find that smoking not only calms them down, but gives them something to depend on when they can't depend on anything else.

"There's no doubt that it has a calming effect, and if you take away that effect, you've got to be able to replace it with something."

Read