Scenes like this one on Wednesday on the grounds of Balfour Collegiate High School in Regina will soon be prohibited under new anti-smoking legislation introduced by the province. (CBC)

Any vehicle carrying a child under the age of 16 will be a non-smoking area, according to legislation introduced by the province of Saskatchewan on Wednesday.

The ban on smoking in cars with children was one of several proposals considered by the government.

One idea that doesn't form part of the legislation is a province-wide ban on smoking in outdoor patio areas associated with bars and restaurants.

"We had ... certainly heard some positive on the issue," Don McMorris, Saskatchewan's minister of health, said about the decision not to impose a broader patio ban. "But also I can tell you that through our caucus and cabinet we heard a lot of negative as well. So we decided to do a balanced approach."

In Saskatchewan, some municipalities have already enacted bans along those lines. Saskatoon prohibits smoking on patios. Regina allows it.

The province did include a number of other curbs on tobacco, including:

• No smoking on school grounds.
• No smoking in common areas of apartment buildings.
• No tobacco sales allowed in pharmacies.