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CRA – Tobacco Tax Increase

Federal Tobacco Tax Increase: CRA Communiacation On February 11, 2014, the Government of Canada announced in its Budget, proposals to amend the Excise Act, 2001 to increase the excise duty rates on tobacco products and to impose a tax on stamped duty-paid cigarettes held in inventory at 12:01am on February 12, 2014. For more information, […]

Shocking Contraband Butt Study Results

The Ontario Convenience Store Association, the OCSA,  released an updated study of contraband cigarette butts found in random locations. Research firm NIRIC identified 136 sites in Ontario where people smoked, including outside hospitals, schools, casinos, government offices, shopping centres and GO Train and other public transit stops.  NIRIC swept up cigarette butts and then sent them […]

Ontario’s Tobacco Strategy

In the 2013 Budget, the government reaffirmed its commitment to the Smoke- Free Ontario Strategy aimed at protecting the health of Ontarians from tobacco use. Ontario is determined to have the lowest smoking rates in Canada and to reduce the supply of low-cost, illegal tobacco available to young people. Building stronger partnerships with First Nation […]

OCSA Lobby Day at Queen’s Park

The Ontario Convenience Stores Association hosted a very successful lobby day at Queen’s Park on Wednesday, October 30th. Retailers from across the province had one-on-one meetings with over 32 MPPs to discuss key issues the convenience store sector faces in Ontario.  The four areas addressed were:  contraband tobacco, the ability to sell beer and wine […]

MPP Statement on Contraband

As a result of the OCSA Lobby Day where we discussed contraband tobacco with all 32 MPP’s on the day, MPP Vic Fedeli of Nippissing contacted North Bay and asked for a copy of the resolution sent to Queen’s Park. Today MPP Fedeli read a member statement in the house about contraband tobacco ask he […]

OCSA Fighting Contraband Tobacco with Technology

  The OCSA is connection retailers and customers with their local politicians through an in-store campaign that gives insights into the threats of contraband tobacco through an iPad. Placed at the point of sale, an iPad with information about contraband’s effects on small business owners, the losses of government revenue, and public safety concerns related […]

Consumer Survey On Contraband Tobacco In Ontario CStores

Dave Bryans was demonstrating new iPad technology that captures convenience store customer’s opinions on the issues caused by contraband tobacco being sold in communities. As a pilot, the OCSA has selected 60 stores to use these iPads to capture attitudes real-time and will use this information to better inform government and other stakeholders’ of Ontarian’s […]

Federal Crackdown On Illicit Tobacco Distributors

Federal Government Takes Tough Stance On Distributors Of Contraband Cigarettes OTTAWA — The federal government is cracking down on the contraband tobacco trade with new legislation that would impose tough penalties for selling, distributing and transporting the substance. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews and Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq made the announcement Tuesday after the bill […]

UK Lobbiests Argue Plain Packaging Will Not Increase Illicit Trade

There is “no good evidence” that the introduction of standardised cigarette packs would lead to an increase in smuggling, according to a group of MPs and peers. Tobacco companies have argued that there would be an increase in illicit trade if standardised packs were introduced because they would be easy to counterfeit. But the All […]