A new study says nearly half of all cigarettes smoked in Ontario and 40 per cent of those puffed in Quebec are illegal.
The study, conducted for the Canadian Tobacco Manufacturers’ Council, and reported in today’s (SUN) Toronto Star, says the two provinces represent about 95 per cent of illegal tobacco sales in Canada.
The article also points a finger directly at Tyendinaga Mohawk Nation as one the sources of the $2 billion/year problem.
The Ontario government says due to international border issues with the U-S and sensativities involving government relations with the First Nations, fighting contraband tobacco is “huge” and “complex”.
