The Saskatchewan government is considering a new law to ban smoking in cars when children are present.

No details have been released, but the measure is one of several being considered for new anti-tobacco legislation.

The province is also looking to ban smoking at the outdoor patios of bars and restaurants. Currently, there's a sweeping smoking ban in indoor areas, but it's still permitted in outdoor areas.

The car-smoking ban when children are present has been introduced in other regions around Canada, but not in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan Health Minister Don McMorris said he hopes that most parents who smoke don't do it when their children are in the car, but for those who do, a new law may be necessary to stop them.

"I see it every so often when I'm driving: parents smoking with children in the car and it's just not fair for the child," he said. "Banning smoking in vehicles with children for example under the age of 14 — does that absolutely stop it? No — but it does give law enforcement … another deterrent."

As far as the patio ban is concerned, currently, it depends which city you live in.

Saskatoon currently bans smoking on patios, while Regina does not. The province is considering banning it everywhere, McMorris said.

"It's not allowed in public buildings and you know in some settings — patios — the second-hand smoke is just as harmful," he said.

More information about the proposed new legislation is expected to be released during the fall sitting of the legislature, which continues until early December.