Contraband cigarettes main source of supply for Ontario youth

For Immediate Release – October 25, 2010 – (Toronto) –A new study from The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) found that contraband tobacco accounts for 43% of all cigarettes consumed by Ontario high school daily smokers in grades 9 to 12.

The study, published in the current edition of Tobacco Control, looked at the smoking habits of Ontario students and found that of high school daily smokers, 50% smoked at least one contraband cigarette per day over the last year. Contraband cigarettes are manufactured on and smuggled from US and Canadian native reserves and sold in high quantities at lower prices outside of the regulated environment which prohibits the sale to minors.

"This form of tobacco consumption is particularly worrisome," said Dr. Russell Callaghan, CAMH scientist and lead investigator on the study. "Because of lower prices and lack of restrictions on purchase, youth are able to afford and access them more readily than regulated tobacco products."

While the percentage of adult Ontarians who consume tobacco has declined since 2003 to 18.7%, youth smoking rates have remained relatively high at 11%. The province has made progress with tobacco control strategies such as taxation and preventing the sale of tobacco products to minors, but widespread access to contraband tobacco may undermine these gains.

"It is important to implement strict policies to regulate the cigarette manufacturing supplies going into native reserves, as well as prevent smuggling of contraband tobacco from the US," he added. This new research complements the recommendations cited in the Tobacco Control Strategy released last week by Ontario government, acknowledging that the growing pervasiveness of contraband tobacco products in Ontario needs to be addressed and combated though increased public awareness and enforcement.

Data for this study came from the 2009 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS), a provincially representative, school-based survey of youth attending public elementary and secondary schools in the province of Ontario.

Smoking Ban Raises Questions For Landlords

The state laws on medical marijuana have landlords in mid-Michigan confused. That's because many of them don't know how it applies to their no smoking rules.

For many smoking tenants in Michigan the days of lighting a cigaratte inside their place could soon be over. That's as more landlords consider making their property smoke free.

"It will better both our buildings, and also provide a better environment and more healthy homes for our residents," said Forrest Babcock, Lansing Housing Commission.

Thursday the Property Management Association of Mid-Michigan and the Ingham County Health Department told landlords they have the right to set these rules even if those include legalized medical marijuana.

"As a number of people said to me, we don't want to be showing our apartment to a prospective resident, and have them smell marijuana in the hallways. That is not a selling point for us," said Jim Bergman, Smoke-Free Environments Law Project.

Selling point or not, advocates for medical marijuana say these measures are not fair. Some argue that it's people's medicine. And if the law allows it then it's their right.

"If people are paying to stay at a place, that's their home. I feel that if it's your home, then you should be able to do what you vote to do. And one of them is medical marijuana," said Danny Trevino, Hydroworld.

It's a battle that could have legal consequences and one which Bergman says landlords would win.

"State law says you can be certified to use marijuana for medicinal reasons. However, federal law still says marijuana is a controlled substance which is illegal. And no question about it, federal law trumps state law," said Bergman.

Ban smoking at Memorial University

A Memorial University of Newfoundland professor is calling on the school to ban smoking on all its property - indoors and out.
Oncologist David Saltman said it wouldn't be too hard for MUN President Gary Kachanoski to enforce a ban.

"In Canada we're very lucky because if we have smoking bans in private and public places, the general population are very supportive of these and compliance is very high, so there's no need for strict enforcement," said Saltman.

Smoking is currently allowed outdoors at Memorial. Saltman said that means students and faculty are exposed to a lot of second-hand smoke near some building entrances.

He's scheduled to meet with MUN's health and safety officer about his concern in the next few weeks.

Four hundred universities and colleges in North America have banned smoking on their campuses.