TACKLE ILLEGAL TOBACCO TO REDUCE CRIME AND SMOKING RATES IN ONTARIO
Illegal tobacco sales may be fueling higher smoking rates in some communities. It is estimated that the illegal market share in Ontario is to be at least 39% and as high as 69%.
MONTRÉAL, Feb. 6, 2024 /CNW/ - As crime rates continue to surge across the province1 and the illegal tobacco market continues to thrive, new data suggests this could be impacting smoking rates. Imperial Tobacco Canada (TCAN) is recommending that the federal and Ontario governments take immediate and decisive action to address the illegal tobacco trade, including enforcement action.
"Ontario has a major illegal tobacco problem, and this is not only undermining efforts to protect public safety, but it may also be contributing to higher smoking rates," said Eric Gagnon, Vice-President, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Imperial Tobacco Canada.
According to new Public Health Ontario data2, smoking rates appear to be significantly higher in regions which appear to be more impacted by illegal tobacco activity, like Northern, Eastern and Southwestern Ontario. For example, the Timiskaming Health Unit has the highest smoking rate in the province at 22 percent, and rates are above 16% for the six northern health districts. Similarly, rates are high in the Haldimand Norfolk (20.1%), Southwestern (18.5%) and Brant County health units (17.5%), along with the Eastern Ontario (17.5%) and Hastings Prince Edward (17.3%) units.
Conversely, rates are much lower in the York (6.3%), Ottawa (6.7%), Halton (6.9%), Peel (7.1%) and Toronto (7.1%) public health units.
"This data should provoke questions, such as why some regions have smoking rates almost four times higher than others. Unfortunately, anti-tobacco advocates such as Rob Cunningham from the Canadian Cancer Society fail to acknowledge the relationship between the disproportionate smoking rates to the illegal market, and suggest the issue is due to the legal age to purchase tobacco products. But with the same legal age across Ontario, yet rates that show huge variations, it would seem Mr. Cunningham's interpretation of the issue is driven more by his anti-tobacco industry objective instead of the actual betterment of public health. If Mr. Cunningham and the Canadian Cancer Society are serious about reducing smoking incidence, they should join us and ask the Ontario government to eliminate cheap and unregulated cigarettes," stated Gagnon.
Illegal tobacco is thriving in Ontario, as demonstrated in a September 2023 report by EY Canada for the Convenience Industry Council of Canada. It is estimated that the illegal market share in Ontario is at least 39% and as high as 69%.3
"Governments and the public health community need to open their eyes to reality, and that reality is a massive illegal tobacco problem that is only getting worse. The illegal sale of tobacco deprives provincial governments of significant revenues, finances criminal gangs and fosters other criminal activities, and provides easy and affordable access to tobacco products. It would be naïve to suggest this does not impact smoking rates," concluded Gagnon.
Imperial Tobacco Canada is Canada's leading tobacco and vaping products company and is part of the world's most international tobacco group: BAT. BAT is a global multi-category consumer goods business, operating in over 180 markets. Our vision is to build A Better Tomorrowtm by reducing the health impact of our business through offering a greater choice of enjoyable and less risky products for our consumers.
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2 https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/Data-and-Analysis/Substance-Use/Smoking-Status |
SOURCE Imperial Tobacco Canada
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