Québec Tobacco-Free Week

The Scourge of Contraband

1. In May 2008, the Laval Police Force announced Operation VITAL, designed to counter illegal sales of contraband cigarettes within the territory of Laval.  In the first six months of the operation, officers seized 141,800 illegal cigarettes.
2. The sale and possession of illegal tobacco products are prohibited by law. The problems caused by illegal tobacco sales :
• Encourage people to consume more tobacco products, thereby exacerbating the harmful effects on health.
• Encourage more people to smoke, especially young people.
• Help to finance the development of criminal elements.
• Deprive legal merchants of revenues from the sale of tobacco products.
3. A box of 200 cigarettes sells legally for between $60 and $75, whereas a box of 200 contraband cigarettes sells for approximately one-third of that price.
4. Contraband affects not only the cities, but also the regions of Quebec.
5. In 2006, 16.5 % of all cigarettes sold on the Canadian market were illegal. By 2008, this figure had soared to 32.7%.
6. Contraband tobacco in Canada is smuggled mainly by criminal organizations based in Quebec and Ontario.
7. Illegal tobacco is produced mainly in facilities located on Aboriginal reserves in Quebec, Ontario and the northern United States, close to the Canadian border.
8. The Canadian Cancer Society and most anti-smoking groups believe it would not be wise for Governments to reduce tobacco taxes.
9. The Quebec Government loses taxes estimated at nearly $300 million per year as a result of contraband.