More Hamilton teens smoking illegal butts

But local rate still lags behind provincial average

September 23, 2008 Hamilton Spectator

By John Burman
Hamilton high school students are smoking a lot of cheap, contraband cigarettes.

A survey of butts picked up on public grounds outside high schools this year found contraband made up 18 per cent of what is believed the youth market in Hamilton.

The survey was done this year and sponsored by the Oakville-based Canadian Convenience Stores Association.

Hamilton’s contraband rate rose three percentage points from the association’s 2007 survey.

The association is calling on all political parties to support legislation making possession of youth tobacco illegal.

Overall, the association figures 26 per cent of all Ontario high school smokers’ cigarette butts picked up this year were contraband. That’s up from 24 per cent last year.

The survey sorted butts into legal, illegal and unknown categories.

Legal cigarettes are identifiable brands on which taxes have been paid. Illegal are butts without branding and foreign or untaxed native brands.

“For us the solution is clear,” Dave Bryans, CCSA president said in an announcement today.

“It is time for each of the parties in this election to commit to making your possession of tobacco illegal.

“We don’t allow underage youth to possess alcohol, so why should tobacco be different?”

Bryans said the study confirms teen smokers are getting hooked on cheap cigarettes which are being smuggled and sold throughout Canada in record numbers.

“This study makes it clear kids who should not be smoking at all, are having no trouble getting their hands on illegal cigarettes that cost pennies each,” said Bryans.

“The tragedy here is, all the anti-smoking measures in place – taxes, health warnings, display bans, mandatory ID checks, government anti-smoking initiatives – are going up in smoke, thanks to illegal cigarettes.”

The survey picked up 22,498 at 80 Ontario and 75 Quebec high schools this year.