OAKVILLE – With a by-election coming up in Windsor-Tecumseh, Dave Bryans, CEO of the Ontario Convenience Stores Association, asks constituents to consider supporting candidates who are committed to stopping contraband tobacco sales. In an opinion piece in the Windsor Star, Bryans pointed out that illegal tobacco has been in the news lately with the arrest of two convenience store employees who had been selling contraband smokes.

“It is never acceptable to purchase or sell illegal tobacco products, and we were pleased to see the RCMP take the appropriate action in stopping this activity, both in this particular store and across the province,” he wrote. “Why is contraband a problem for Windsor? Proximity to the U.S. border makes the city an easy target for contraband traffickers. The product also makes its way into communities along Highway 401.

He went on to write that the sale of contraband tobacco “has serious consequences on community safety. Whereas convenience store retailers check for ID, illegal tobacco is sold without age verification to anyone willing to buy (including minors). Organized crime groups profit substantially from the sale of contraband tobacco, thereby increasing the trade in drugs and guns as a consequence.

“Contraband is sold without taxes, therefore, governments lose out on millions of tax dollars annually due to this illegal business. Contraband tobacco is a big issue for our convenience store retailers, and should be of great concern for the people of Windsor-Tecumseh. Windsor city council passed a motion last year encouraging the Government of Ontario to implement budget allocations aimed at tackling contraband tobacco,” he concluded.

The Ontario Convenience Stores Association has been very vocal about the harm of illegal tobacco sales.