Tobacco black market thrives

Re: Big Tobacco can act, Letter to the editor, June 30 As tobacco is a legal product, its legitimate suppliers should, in theory, enjoy the same rights of other businesses. Instead they operate under punitive regulations. Granted there are health risks but alcohol consumption and excessive gambling also carry health and social concerns, but not only are they exempt from tobacco’s onerous restrictions, the government itself advertises to stimulate more sales.

One of Premier Doug Ford’s first acts should involve examining the factors influencing the thriving tobacco black market in Ontario. The illegal suppliers account for a large percentage of overall tobacco sales and use products that pose a greater health risk than the legitimate sellers. That this is happening has generated no concern either at the federal or provincial level. In a previous National Post column, the tobacco industry claimed plain packaging would make it easier to sell illegal products. The black market could be eliminated through an evaluation of the current tobacco tax levels and regulations and ensuring new policies don’t encourage people to buy contraband. It might even generate additional revenue for the province.

I fully support reasonable attempts to reduce tobacco usage and secondhand smoke health risks but smokers buying products should not be needlessly inconvenienced or absurdly overtaxed. Nor should suppliers have to compete with criminal elements through the implementation of dubious policies. John Winegarden, Scarborough, Ont.