There seems to be a great deal of controversy surrounding that trailer on the side of the road advertising “cheap smokes.”
The Canadian Convenience Stores Association wants to make you aware of the inner workings of the contraband tobacco industry.
To accomplish this, the organization is setting out on a nationwide tour with their “Window on Contraband” exhibit – which is essentially a mockup of what is commonly called a smoke shack.
The tour has made its way to the Owen Sound area.
The aim of the awareness campaign is to show people that buying illegal tobacco products is not a victimless crime.
Peter Seemann with the CCSA says tobacco sales make up a big percentage of a convenience stores revenue — money he says the stores are losing out on simply because they are following the rules.
Seemann adds when tobacco taxes go up — so too does the demand for cheap smokes.
He goes on to say that while legitimate businesses suffer — organized crime profits big-time from the sale of contraband cigarettes.
Seemann says this is especially prevalent on First Nations communities.
He points to the Six Nations community as an example — a recent survey reveals 94 smoke shacks for a community of just over 11 thousand people.
Seemann says he is not against the selling of tax free tobacco to on-reserve people – he is against the selling of those products to off reserve customers who then take them off First Nations land.
