Researchers tally butts outside federal buildings, including Supreme Court
Ottawa Bureau
OTTAWA—Federal government workers and Supreme Court of Canada employees have joined the ranks of high school students as purchasers of illegal smokes, a study by the Canadian Convenience Stores Association says.
Researchers counted cigarette butts outside government buildings and schools in Ottawa to determine how many were contraband. The results show how widespread the problem is and the adverse affect it is having on corner store owners, say the study's sponsors.
“It's everywhere,” Michel Gadbois, senior vice-president of the CCSA, told reporters in the nation's capital, where the association launched its 25-city tour.
It is lobbying the federal government to tackle a seven-year-old problem and whittle illegal sales down.
“Morally, these are places that should be zero per cent because they are government buildings,” Gadbois said.
The butt study results ranged from a high of 39 per cent contraband outside an Ottawa high school to 22 per cent outside the Supreme Court building. Outside the Department of Finance building, the researchers found 32 per cent contraband butts.
Gadbois said the association wants federal and provincial governments to reduce the rate of cigarette smuggling to 10 per cent, from a high of 50 per cent.
“If not, it means we have accepted criminality,” he said.
Chris Wilcox, vice-president of Ottawa-based Quickie Convenience Stores, said the sale of contraband smokes is not a victimless crime or a trivial matter.
Approximately 1,500 corner stores of all types have gone out of business in Ontario in the past couple of years “because of the loss of sales to contraband tobacco,” Wilcox said, adding that Ontario alone is losing $200 million a year in tobacco taxes.
“These are people who are stuck in their stores 17 hours a day and . . . they are disappearing. And they are going away quietly . . . into the dark,” he told the Toronto Star.
Wilcox called for the federal government to create the position of tobacco czar to coordinate the attack on the illegal cigarette industry.
“Right now it is a disorganized mess,” he said. “We all know that the (federal) government is scared to intervene.”
Wilcox noted the new Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) in Ontario, which comes into effect July 1, will hike a carton of legally produced cigarettes to $88 from $82, driving even more cigarette smokers into the arms of the smugglers.
Rob Cunningham, a senior policy analyst with the Canadian Cancer Society, said cheap, illegal smokes are undermining progress in reducing smoking.
But he offered some solutions, including urging Public Safety Minister Vic Toews to persuade U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to shut down illegal factories on the U.S. side of Akwesasne First Nations reserve, where 90 per cent of the contraband smokes originate.
The RCMP's Cornwall Regional Task Force has seized 105,078 cartons of contraband cigarettes and 5,530.52 kilograms of fine cut tobacco this calendar year, and it acknowledges that it probably only intercepts one to five per cent of the illegal traffic from manufacturers from the U.S. side of Akwesasne reserve, which straddles Ontario, Quebec and New York state.
The Mounties report that as many as 100 organized crime groups operate on the controversial first nations community.
Seizures in Valleyfield, Que., where the smugglers have concentrated because of the crackdown in and around Cornwall, have topped 100,000 cartons and 12,968 kilograms of fine cut tobacco in the period from Jan 1 to Monday.
Conservative Senator Hugh Segal had led the charge in the upper chamber against organized cigarette smuggling.
“When laws come into disrepute or when laws are corrupted or intimidated into impotence and have no effect, none among us are safe,” he said.
Segal has called for the government and opposition parties to establish a special committee inquiry into illegal contraband tobacco to gauge its costs and potential remedies.
May 19, 2010 at 1:04 AM
“Practise what you preach” is a strong phrase that comes to mind when reading this article. It makes me think of the countless times the Government has passed laws against smoking, no smoking with children in the vicinity of cars, no smoking outside government buildings, etc. The problem that strikes me is, if these are strict laws, why aren’t the Canadian government of all people following them. At the same time, not only are they breaking the law of smoking outside government buildings but they are also purchasing illegal smokes. Which brings me to my point of, how can the Canadian government say one thing, but contradict themselves and do another thing?
By reading this article it makes my faith in Canadian government decrease since how can I trust someone who is involved in illegal events to help run the great country I, as well as the over 33 million Canadians and growing that live here.
The reason for my choosing of this article because it will make readers re-think their choice in the Canadian government and how they are “following” the laws THEY implemented. I am not saying ALL of the Canadian government is corrupt, but what I am saying is that many citizens get penalized for some of the same crimes that many individuals of the Canadian government commit on a daily basis, which is unfair because why should certain people get special treatment over others. It also shows how the federal government is somewhat cowardly as they are not implementing any new ways of stopping this act of crime and sitting back and watching.
The next time any member of the Canadian government and any citizen of Canada smoke remember this, “Rob Cunningham, a senior policy analyst with the Canadian Cancer Society, said cheap, illegal smokes are undermining progress in reducing smoking.”
May 30, 2010 at 9:58 PM
As government officials, I strongly believe that they should be inspiring role-models for our society. They are people of power who make decisions and laws for the better; therefore, are well-respected in our community. As a result, I am appalled at some of their illegal practices of purchasing illegal tobacco because it makes them weak role-models for our society.
Politicians who buy illegal tobacco become poor role-models for citizens for many reasons. They show that laws in our society is insignificant. By purchasing illegal alcohol, they are preaching that abiding laws in our society is not important and is tolerable because they are irrelevant and useless. This sets a negative example because they are showing that it is ethical to undermine the laws that build our society by disobeying them. Furthermore, they demonstrate that it is morally right to be inconsiderate. By purchasing illegal alcohol, they are taking away jobs from people who sell legal tobacco. As a result, these people may lose their jobs and add to the unemployment rate which in turns decreases the strength of our economy. Furthermore, our economy is weakened due to the loss of tobacco taxes. By purchasing illegal substances without thinking of the damage that it can cause to others and the economy, they demonstrate that it is acceptable to only think of yourself when making decisions. Politicians who purchase illegal tobacco are poor examples for our society because they moralize disrespected ethics.
By:Nancy Khuu
June 5, 2010 at 11:44 AM
What a shocker! Who would have thought that government workers would buy illegal tobacco. There are many reasons why this is such an important issue and must be dealt with immediately. For one, these men and women in government buildings are supposed to be the role models of society. They should encourage people not to smoke and if you must, buy it legally. Teenagers will use any excuse to smoke, take drugs etc. and this issue is like putting an illegal cigarette in their hand. We have to stop teenagers from smoking because of the long term effects. We're still young and we are easily infleuenced by ads, peer pressure etc. We don't need another "ad", presenting the higher officals of this country, smoking illegal tobacco. Because of this illegal purchase, cigarette taxes are decreasing which has an effect on two things: the economy and convenience store employees. There are a lot of things that make up our economy and as sad as it sounds, tobacco makes a big portion of it, considering the number of Canadians that smoke. How will our economy make it through this economic downfall if we keep on buying things from under the table? To get out of the recession, we have to put more money into the economy and jumpstart it. Also, the poor employees of convenience stores already have a tough life. They have to deal with everything from late nights to tough customers. They don't need another problem to add onto their list. Many convenience owners have families and no one wants little kids and wives out on the street. We don't want ANYONE on the streets!
I think that higher officials should atleast buy legal tobacco. We have to demolish this illegal activity and the first step is to try to get the people who are supposed to stop it to.. stop it. Like Alex said, "Practise what you preach". There's no point in promising something if you don't put your heart and soul into it and believe it.
June 6, 2010 at 2:29 PM
Whoa!!
I agree with Keerthana when she says "What a shocker!"
I myself wouldn't have thought that anyone involved in the government would have any business with illegal tobacco.
This is a very serious problem. Our government officials should be our role models, and our encouragement to society. They should be showing that they follow all rules and laws.
I also agree with Keerthana when she brings up the point that teenagers are very vulnerable to drugs. They are also easily influenced and if someone with a very high social status, such as government officials are smoking tobacco illegally what is going to stop these teens.
This article made me feel very insecure. We are supposed to trust our government. Now how can we trust someone involved in illegal businesses, especially someone who is involved in running our country.
June 6, 2010 at 10:03 PM
I think that Alex brings up some strong points.
The "practice what you preach" is very important. I think that promises should not be made if you do not believe it or you do not put your heart into it.
One think I don't feel to confident about what Alex said about his faith in Canadian government decreased. Illegal smoking has always been out their and always will be no matter what we do. I think that we could slowly decrease the number of illegal cigarettes. Their are horrible people doing illegal things even in the system that lays down these laws themselves.
June 9, 2010 at 11:41 PM
Some Federal Government workers should be a shamed of themselves. They should be role models in our society and law breakers. It's such a shame that people don't "practice what they preach". How does the government expect citizens to stop the illegal drugs while their workers are using it themselves. We have a word for those workers... hypocrites, that's what they are. How can anyone possibly trust the government when they can't even follow their own rules. Its such a shame. I strongly agree will the comments that was posted on this article.
June 12, 2010 at 8:41 PM
This new report is very disturbing, because of the government of the trading of illegal tobacco. We chose the government to help the flourish the country. The government is supposed to be the role models of the country, but instead they are the buyers of illegal tobacco. Tobacco is very dangerous to the health of many and yet, they import them. The government is setting a bad example to many people, especially teenagers, because they are vulnerable to it. According to me this is unbelievable, because the government is the number one buyers of tobacco.
I agree with Alex, you should think twice for who you choose for the position of government. There is a saying which goes well with this situation and is it “Never judge a book by its cover.”.
If the government is vulnerable and insecure of their choices, they are not fit to govern at all. Also, this put the citizens of Canada in a dangerous state. Thinking back, it makes me feel as if the whole country will have to pay to these poorly chosen decisions in the long term.
June 13, 2010 at 2:47 AM
This is a shocking story and as said before, sets a terrible example for society. If government workers are out there buying illegal cigarettes, it gives the wrong impression to society, especially to our youth, that laws are not important. It teaches people to do what they want without care for the laws because the officials themselves who made them aren't following them! It also encourages smoking and puts it out as a pleasurable idea to be smoking illegally. As a fad persuades people to move, these government workers actions can persuade teens and youth to move and go buy cigarettes.
How can people trust a government that undermines its own laws and rules? People within the government are making poor choices all around on the issue of illegal cigarettes but on top of that they are directly affecting Canadian incomes from Tobacco sales. They are directly involved in the matter and are furthermore, not helping the distressful economic situation in our country right now. The people of Canada will have a hard time looking up to a dishonest government until order not only by written laws but by example too, is replaced.
June 14, 2010 at 7:35 PM
This is a very poor example of emphasizing new laws. Why make laws for someone, and give punishments for them if they do not abide them? If the people who helped make the law are abiding in the first place. This kind of behaviour will continue the trend of the purchases of illegal cigarettes. But one thing, I do not understand is, why there were no politicians named in this article. I would think that the leaders of the political parties would have discovered people smoking outside the buildings. The politicians who want to make a change, have to change themselves before they can change anything else.
June 21, 2010 at 9:37 PM
Unlike many products on the market, cigarettes are a certain type of product that are meant to kill people. It is destructive in nature, and it influences young adolescence to pick up the bad habit. Because smoking hurts oneself and the society it should be banned. Smoking has the illusion of being cool or in fashion. Smoking affects the youngsters body without warning. People have a chance of getting lung cancer, liver cancer, asthma and etc, by taking in the thousands of chemicals. People have spent a lot of their money buying cigarettes which ends up affecting them. People usually can't control their emotion and usually show it on other people. I agree with Alex as my faith in the government systems and policies are decreasing. In addition, politicians are depicting to people that they do not care about the economy as they buy illegal alcohol and this reduces the amount of money and jobs for those who sell it legally. Furthermore, the legal sellers may have to live on the streets if they do not make enough profit and this weakens the economy. These politicians must act more wisely and help out the society by buying legal cigarettes or reduce the amount of smoking. If these people are abiding the policies, other rules and regulations can be broken as well. Moreover, people are hurting other people for their own benefit, like they may smoke with others causing second hand smoke. Ultimately, this crime should be stopped and politicians should be punished for their actions and cigarette smuggling should be decreased to 10 percent. They should take upon a greater initiative for this issue and act like role models.