From: Toronto Sun
By Mark Bonokoski, Postmedia Network
Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott is working to reduce tobacco consumption among Canadians, but has left out important stakeholders such as convenience store owners and organizations fighting the scourge of contraband tobacco. (Leah Hennel/Postmedia Network/Files)
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If so, then why were convenience store owners shut out of the process, and organizations fighting the scourge of contraband tobacco that has been flooding the market with price points upwards of 75% cheaper than legally purchased cigarettes?
On most First Nation reserves in Ontario, for example, you can buy a baggie of 200 contraband cigarettes for $20 while, just down the road beyond the reserve’s border, a carton of 200 legally-purchased cigarettes can cost upwards of $115.
