A group called the National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco (NCACT), speaking to representatives from Northern Ontario at the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference, called illegal tobacco an "epidemic" that is plaguing northern communities.
“One in three cigarettes purchased in Ontario are contraband, and in Northern Ontario that number jumps to an average of more than 54% illegal tobacco use,” said Gary Grant, National Spokesperson for the National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco (NCACT)
“The RCMP have identified 175 criminal gangs involved in the trade that continue to profit and fund their other illegal activities, including guns, drugs and human smuggling. Community leaders need to encourage action to stop this growing threat.”
The group says in April, the Ontario provincial budget neglected for the 5th year in arrow to implement measures that would work.
"The Ontario government’s 2012 budget indicated that it was 'actively' considering new measures to address contraband. While the province has incrementally added some measures since then, half a decade later Quebec-style enforcement measures have not yet been introduced. There, the Acces Tabac program and Bill 59 provides the resources and power to local police to conduct contraband tobacco investigations and allows the municipalities to keep the profits from the seizures it makes, thereby supporting the local communities. With these measures, Quebec has reduced contraband tobacco by half and netted more than $180 million in additional revenues in 2015-2016.
“Ontario has repeatedly neglected to introduce measures that would have the greatest effect in reducing the out of control contraband problem,” continued Gary Grant, a 39-year veteran of the Toronto Police Service. “The provincial government is keen to pride itself, having collected $38 million since 2008 in penalties under the tobacco tax act, but that is just 1/5th of what Quebec’s Acces Tabac program netted in one year. Instead, we know contraband tobacco in Ontario costs the provincial and federal government more than $1 billion annually. Money that Northern Ontario municipalities could certainly use.”
Quebec-style enforcement measures disrupt illegal networks, leading to an actual contraband reduction. Recent discussions about Canadian smoking rates identify that illegal cigarettes undermine tobacco control efforts. Tobacco control can’t work if Ontarians can get cheap, unregulated cigarettes in any part of the province with ease. “Attitudes in Northern Ontario were shockingly unconcerned about the consequences of using illegal cigarettes.
Contraband cigarettes are produced in 50 Illegal factories in Canada, largely in Ontario and Quebec. Each can produce millions of cigarettes in a day.
