Industry calls on federal government to fight back against contraband cigarettes
The cigarette industry and an alliance of retailers is calling on the federal government to take action against contraband cigarettes, which hurt small business owners and expose youth to smoking.
At the annual general meeting of the Alberta Chamber of Commerce in Red Deer on Friday, Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc. (RBH) helped lead a call on the federal government to take steps to control the problem.
Officials said the seizure of 35 million contraband cigarettes over the past nine months illustrates how critical proper action is.
"We know contraband is controlled directly by gangs and other criminal organizations, and often when contraband tobacco is seized, illegal drugs including cocaine and fentanyl are also found," said Ron Bell, illicit trade prevention with RBH.
"Federal leadership, coordination and resources are needed to put an end to this organized criminal activity that's linked to gun and drug trafficking, and potentially putting cigarettes in the hands of youth."
RBH says a recent study suggests up to 45 per cent of cigarettes in B.C. are contraband and one out of every two cigarettes in Ontario are sold by organized crime groups.
The company says action has already been taken in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
"Alberta announced a new working group to tackle contraband tobacco in its 2024 budget, Saskatchewan recently passed Bill 29 The Tobacco Tax Amendment Act that includes new contraband enforcement measures and Ontario's 2024 budget took action to increase penalties for criminals caught selling contraband."
However, RBH says "federal coordination, leadership and resources" are needed to effectively combat the issue.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Environmental racism': First Nations leaders claim cancer-causing contamination was covered up
The people of Fort Chipewyan believe the federal government believe the federal government knew its water was contaminated and hid the issue for years. Now the chief of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation is leading the call for immediate action.
Death toll from Hurricane Helene rises to 227 as grim task of recovering bodies continues
The death toll from Hurricane Helene inched up to 227 on Saturday as the grim task of recovering bodies continued more than a week after the monster storm ravaged the Southeast and killed people in six states.
Car flies into B.C. backyard, lands upside down
A driver suffered only minor injuries after going airborne in a residential neighbourhood in Maple Ridge, B.C., on Friday, the car eventually landing on its roof in someone’s backyard.
Donald Trump, Elon Musk attend rally at same Pennsylvania grounds where gunman tried to assassinate Trump
Donald Trump returned on Saturday to the Pennsylvania fairgrounds where he was nearly assassinated in July, holding a sprawling rally with thousands of supporters in a critical swing state Trump hopes to return to his column in November's election.
Tax rebate: Canadians with low to modest incomes to receive payment
Canadians who are eligible for a GST/HST tax credit can expect their final payment of the year on Friday.
'No one has $70,000 dollars lying around': Toronto condo owners facing massive special assessment
The owners of a North York condominium say they are facing a $70,000 special assessment to fix their building's parking garage. '$70,000 is a lot of money. It makes me very nervous and stressed out of nowhere for this huge debt to come in,' said Ligeng Guo.
Police ID mom, daughter killed in Old Montreal; video shows person break into building before fatal fire
Police released the identities of the mother and daughter who were killed after a fire tore through a 160-year-old building in Old Montreal on Friday.
Frequent drinking of fizzy beverages and fruit juice are linked to an increased risk of stroke: research
New data raises questions about the drinks people consume and the potential risks associated with them, according to researchers at Galway University in Ireland, in partnership with Hamilton’s McMaster University.
'I screamed in shock and horror': Family faces deadly Vancouver hit-and-run driver during sentencing
The sentencing of the man who pleaded guilty in the deadly hit-and-run in Kitsilano two years ago began on Friday.