Contraband Cigarettes Prevalent in Ontario

A new study found an 8% increase in illegal cigarettes.

November 30, 2016

TORONTO, Ontario – Ontario has seen a significant bump in illegal cigarettes, a new study has found. The Toronto Sun reports that 32.8% of the cigarette butts gathered for the study were contraband—an 8% increase from 2015.

“It’s actually discouraging and shocking at the same time,” Dave Bryans with the Ontario Convenience Stores Association (OCSA) said. “Every year, we hear in provincial budgets or we hear from different levels of governments that we are doing things to correct contraband. And then when we do this unscientific sweep, it now increases again.”

Across the province, illegal cigarette usage rose, with contraband cigarettes highest in northern Ontario (54.2%) and lowest in southwestern Ontario (21%). “This is a product that has no advertising, has no promotions, no marketing plans—nothing,” Bryans said. “And you’re starting to see 34% of all smokers having access to the product, delivered to them in every community.”

Part of the appeal is the cost. A carton of contraband tobacco goes for $37, compared to convenience stores selling a similar, legal product for $100, including taxes. The Ontario government had assured retailers and others that it has a strong tobacco enforcement system. “Since 2008, more than 252 million contraband cigarettes, 4.3 million untaxed cigars and 169 million grams of untaxed fine-cut tobacco or other tobacco products have been seized by the (finance) ministry,” the government stated.

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