Submitted by Marina Dimova VisitBulgaria.info
The proposed changes to Ontario’s laws regarding illegal cigarettes may be a step in the right direction, however, anti-smoking groups believes the province needs to focus on manufacturers to really control smuggling.
The new legislation proposes fining people between $100 and $500 if they are found carrying small quantities of illegal cigarettes. A fine of around $175 in fees and taxes would be imposed on someone caught with less than 200 illegal cigarettes.
According to Sophia Aggelonitis, Revenue Minister, illegal tobacco is a complicated issue, which is multi-ministerial and multi-jurisdictional.
Michael Perley of the Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco believes fining people would prove helpful in deterring those who wanted to buy illegal cigarettes, as fining a person $175 for a $15 bag of cigarettes, would be lesson not forgotten in a hurry.
At a news conference, Aggelonitis said those caught would still have to go through the court system. Perley said fining could be done more efficiently by authorising the police to write tickets on the spot.
The new law on being passed would also require trucks transporting raw leaf tobacco into the province to register, however, Gary Grant, a spokesman for the National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco did not believe smugglers would comply
