Discount cigarettes aimed at teens appearing in Toronto
Posted February 29, 2016 4:00 pm.
Last Updated February 29, 2016 9:15 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
They are being touted as Camel North. They come in a flashy blue pack, depicting the world’s most famous nicotine mascot and they are selling for nearly half off the price of premium brands.
“This has been specifically formulated to appeal to that demographic of young men.” says Mike Perley of the Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco.
These cheap Camel Cigarettes going for $7.75 a pack have been added to a long list of discount smokes that now make up 68 percent of the market.
“We have competitive pricing. People think cigarettes are the same price – uh-uh,” he says.
Perley tells CityNews that Ontario has the second-lowest tobacco taxes in the country. Only Quebec’s tobacco taxes are lower.
Finance Minister Charles Sousa says the Liberal government has been trying to eliminate low-cost cigarette alternatives.
“We are trying to enforce and preclude low cost cigarettes from existence,” he said.
As for raising Ontario’s taxes so the province is in-line with the national average, Sousa said “we are taking steps towards that, and I need to take a balanced approach.”
Perley says raising the price of cigarettes is the most effective way to discourage smoking, which is a tactic these cheap cigarettes are trying to circumvent.
“Tax increases are the number-one, best way to encourage people to stop smoking, and twice as effective with young people than adults.”
Last week the Wynne government tacked on another 3 dollars of tax onto a carton of cigarettes. Despite the tax hike, Ontario is still selling the cheapest cigarettes besides Quebec.
