The government is proposing to increase taxes on tobacco, with the tax per cigarette rising by 5 cents to 30 cents a cigarette. The last tax increase for tobacco was in February 2012, after which Finance Minister Keith Peterson says there was a drop in tobacco use. Finance Minister Keith Peterson says the tax increase five years ago decreased tobacco use, but since then smoking rates have increased again. Including all tobacco products, Nunavut's population of 37,000 smokes the equivalent of 66 million cigarettes, according to Peterson. He says he hopes raising taxes will be most effective at deterring youth, since they have less disposable income.

Source: CBC News March 07, 2017 13:07 UTC