The Canadian Cancer Society is pointing the finger squarely at the Akwesasne reserve as the reason why smoking rates in Canada have levelled off over the past few years, saying smugglers are providing smokers with cheap and easy access to contraband cigarettes.
Statistics Canada figures state that in 2007, 19 per cent of Canadians reported that they smoked either every day or occasionally, a figure that is virtually unchanged from 2005 and 2006 numbers.
Rob Cunningham, a senior policy analyst with the cancer society said studies have shown that the high cost of cigarettes has a lot to do with why people choose to quit, and now governments need to concentrate on how to cut off supplies at the source instead of at the border.
“Over the last three years both Ontario and Quebec have introduced massive anti-smoking measures to make sure smoking levels go down, and they haven’t,” he said.
“The reason for that is contraband.
“It is essential that Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day bring about new, effective safety measures to get contraband under control, including persuading the U.S. government to shut down the illegal factories on the U.S. side of Akwesasne.”
Contraband factories, more commonly known as “smoke shacks” offer filtered cigarettes for a fraction of the retail price, selling cartons of 200 for about $20, as opposed to legal brands which can sell for as much as $95, depending on the province.
The RCMP has recognized that the majority of contraband cigarettes seized across the country originate from the American side of Akwesasne, referring also to reserves in Kahnawake, near Montreal, Tyendinaga, just outside of Belleville, and the Six Nations reserve near Brantford, Ont., as being significant contributors.
Local RCMP detachments work with police in both Akwesasne and Ontario, as well as border services agents, to curb the amount of contraband crossing the borders, having seized more than 35 million cigarettes and close to 24,000 kilograms of fine cut tobacco so far this year.
The total value of the seized goods is estimated at more than $6 million.
Cunningham said he knows that police at the borders are doing all they can to stop illegal cigarettes from getting into the country, but believes that more needs to be done on a federal and political level to get the U.S. government’s attention.
“My hunch is the reason why these illegal factories are still operating is because the cigarettes come directly to Canada, they don’t stay in the U.S., so they don’t feel it as much on that side of the border,” he said.
“But it is still very much in the best interests of the U.S. to shut down these illegal factories because those that go to Canada with contraband cigarettes return to the U.S. often with drugs, weapons and people.”
Cunningham said the cancer society has decided to point the finger at the Akwesasne because it believes that having 19 per cent of the population as daily and occasional smokers is still too high.
“In 1999 the province of British Columbia was at 20 per cent. Today, they’re at 14 per cent, and there’s no reason why the national average can’t be there, too,” he said.
“Even the smallest decrease in smoking levels carries an enormous benefit to the public health system, and contraband is right now our biggest barrier to meeting the goals we’ve set for this country. It’s illegal, and we should be doing more to stop it.”